Accidents Happen?
by Catastrophic Tomato
Summary: It was just one time, and it was only a drunken accident! Surely it should just be forgotten. That is, until Lovino and Gilbert realize this won't be as easy as they thought. Prumano
1. Affair

**A/N: Oh, I had this sudden idea and had to write it! I will probably be updating this story and the other one consecutively, so I don't lose the ideas for either or the inspiration. Not sure yet, but I hope this is enjoyed!**

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><p>Lovino awoken from the sting of the bright sun that shone through an opening in the curtains of a nearby window. He slowly opened his eyes and sat up, yawning as he rubbed them. He looked around the strange room he didn't recognize, and then down at his wristwatch. Damn, it was already almost noon, he thought to himself. Suddenly, he cringed a little from the odd pain in his hips. He rubbed his hand against his right side, as he took notice of his naked body. This wasn't unusual, since he usually slept nude; well, not completely nude. He always wore his boxers but this time they were no where in sight. A small yawn from close by broke his train of thought, and he looked to his left to find a very shocking sight.<p>

"Gilbert… Gilbert!" he yelled, roughing shaking the half-sleeping body next to him.

Finally, the sleepy man lazily opened his eyes and sat up as he scratched his messy head of hair.

"Ah.. Guten morgen~" Gilbert smiled, as he leaned forward and began to gently kiss on Lovino's soft skin down his neck and to his collarbone.

"No! Stop that!" Lovino yelled again, blushing as he pushed Gilbert away and tried to cover his bare body. He then took notice that Gilbert was naked under these strange sheets as well.

"What's wrong? You're being so cold all of a sudden," Gilbert childishly frowned as he tried to wrap his arms around Lovino's body to tightly squeeze him.

"Snap out of it, dumb ass!" Lovino smacked him back and forth on his cheeks to fully awaken him.

"Ow! What the fuck?" he whined, rubbing his cheeks as his little daze disappeared.

"Don't you remember? We... seriously had sex last night!" Lovino covered his dark red face with the sheets and cursed to himself, before getting out of the bed to find his clothing. All of his items were scattered across the floor along with Gilbert's. They must have really been going at it the night before, because his body was so exhausted and still a bit sore as he tried to put on the clothes with the little dignity he still had left.

"Mmm.. and awesome sex it was," Gilbert chuckled, as he yawned and watched Lovino panic, practically dancing around the room.

"That's not the fucking point! You have a **girlfriend**, remember? Yeah, and I'm not her!"

A huge and bright light bulb went off in Gilbert's head. That is to say, it shattered. He showed an expression of horror as he covered his face with both of his hands, wishing he could drown himself in sorrow right about now.

"Ja... I'm dead," he said. From the looks of it, they were on a pretty high floor in whatever building it was. It looked like a hotel room, so he could simply end it all right there. That would have been less painful and quicker than whatever Elizaveta was going to do to him. The window was nearby, so maybe if he could just sneak out of it, problem solved.

"Not a word of this to anyone, or we'll _both_ lose our damn heads," Lovino warned, as he tried not to think of what would happen to him. He knew how strong and fierce that chick was, everyone knew. After their college days, she tried to act like a classy woman with style but on the inside, she was nothing but a brute. Well, Lovino did not want to meet that side of her and so he would be discreet as possible.

"I agree, as long as you don't run your mouth to anyone about your awesome taste of my five meters, we're cool. Especially don't tell Feli, of all people," Gilbert said, trying to play it cool. He quickly got up from the warm bed and dressed himself as Lovino ignored that previous statement.

Lovino shook his head and they exited the room together once they'd fixed the toppled furniture. Walking out of the hotel turned into a rather difficult challenge, as the evil sunlight and the roaring sound of the busy city set in. Gilbert whined from his throbbing hangover, Lovino was just glad his headache wouldn't turn into a coma; as long as no one found out about their night of fun.

"So.. what are you going to do now? Didn't Liz put you out last night?" Lovino asked, as he turned to face Gilbert.

"Mhm. I'll just go apologize for whatever I did wrong, I forgot. What about you?"

"I'm going back home to rest, I suppose. Well, it's a bit late for that. I don't know, don't care," Lovino sighed and kicked a nearby rock into the street.

"We should just do whatever we normally do, until we're completely sober. You know, so we don't raise any suspicions."

"Of course, I was going to say that next! Well, see you.." Lovino said, avoiding eye contact as they awkwardly shook hands before Lovino caught a taxicab home.

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><p>Hopefully, Feliciano wouldn't be home. That would leave him the chance to go straight to his bedroom and hide under his own sheets for awhile to think things through. As much as he liked Gilbert, he didn't expect things to go the way that they had. Besides, he was supposed to be interested in that chick from Belgium! Although, she was really perky and a tease, so it kind of annoyed him to be around her for too long. When he got tired of using his gentleman act, he'd usually go hang out with the guys. Being with Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert always made him feel like he could be himself.<p>

But he mostly felt this way when he was with Gilbert. That bastard was always so funny, aside from his annoying remarks. When one could finally get past his hard outer shell, they would learn that Gilbert was one of the greatest friends to ever have. Sure, he had a big ego and scared off the ladies with his obnoxiousness, but Lovino truly admired the way Gilbert could be himself no matter where he was. It made Lovino wish he could be a little more like him; minus the shitty arrogance, love for potatoes, loud mouth, and every other obvious flaw. Still, no one was perfect, especially not Lovino himself.

If Gilbert was single, Lovino would no doubt take that opportunity to claim him as fast as he could. Wait, that wasn't right. Why would he want to do such a ridiculous thing? He'll admit that maybe, just maybe, he sort of kinda had a little tiny itty bit of those type of feelings for Gilbert. And by that, he meant he'd secretly been hardcore crushing on the guy for many months now but his brain hid that fact so he wouldn't go insane. Still, he knew it, anyway.

When he arrived home, Lovino quietly walked inside and headed for the stairs. It was silent, so that must mean Feli isn't here, he thought. What a relief!

"Hey, you're back!"

Nope, he had thought too soon.

"Yeah, I'm back.." he turned around to see Feliciano darting towards him from around the corner.

"What happened to you? I called and texted you many times last night and this morning! I was so worried, are you alright?" Feliciano exclaimed, looking all over Lovino's body to make sure he wasn't injured.

"I'm fine, stop being so damn loud.. I have a headache," Lovino croaked, as he went into the other room and collapsed onto the sofa.

"So, where were you? I invited you to go with Luddy and I to the movies! But you never answered, so we went without you. Then, this morning I invited you to breakfast at the café, but you didn't answer and we went without you again."

"Thanks, I like thinking about being left behind. Seriously though, why would I want to go anywhere with you and that macho bastard? Had it not occurred to you that I hate him, despite all the times I have said so? Besides, I was out with Gilbert last night."

"Really? What'd you guys do?" Feliciano asked, pretty much ignoring the other things Lovino had said.

"Uh.. well, he called me because he got into another fight with his chick. Not Gilbird, but Lizzy. You know, the usual stupid arguments.." Lovino tried to explain, as his mind kept adverting to what happened when he had awoken this morning.

"And so I went with him to our usual bar, to have a few drinks and forget about women for a while. But, it sort of turned into a big rant about everything we hate in this world and we ended up drunk. So, we spent the night in his hotel room, since she kicked him out of the house," Lovino hurriedly explained as his heart began to race.

"Oh, I see! Gilbert's always getting into such trouble," Feliciano laughed, then added, "It must have been fun."

"What do you mean by _fun_?" Lovino glared suspiciously as if Feliciano knew _something._

"I mean, you two must have had some crazy fun last night."

"WHAT? !"

"I-I.. just assumed it was fun at the bar! You two always complain about things, so I thought it must have been fun complaining together!" Feliciano cried, as Lovino was about to bash his face in.

"Well, yeah! Duh. And why am I even telling you this? Shut up, it's none of your damn business!" he shouted, as he quickly ran up the stairs and into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"What did I say wrong?" Feliciano shrugged, then went back to making his little scrapbook full of pictures of him, Ludwig, and Kiku.

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><p>After finally getting his apology accepted, Gilbert sighed with relief that his girlfriend hadn't caught onto anything. He gave himself a pat on the back, as this was a new record; being forgiven after only a day. In fact, it hadn't even been 24 hours since their little fight, and he was already back on top of his game. Even though he was forgiven, he knew not to mess with Elizaveta for awhile, so he went outside into the backyard and drank some coffee, since his stomach wouldn't be able to hold beer for a little while.<p>

"You look like scum. What happened to you?"

Gilbert looked up from his lounge chair to see Vash and Lili staring at him in concern.

"Oh, it's you two. I've got a lot of things on my mind, so can you go be cute little kids somewhere else?" he said, obnoxiously slurping his coffee and shooing a hand at them to go away.

"I'm an adult just as well as you are! Although, I am far more mature _and_ intelligent," Vash snarled, crossing his arms. It was true, 18 means that one is an adult now! And he was soon to be 19, so Gilbert could go fall off a cliff for all he cared.

"Um… Good afternoon, Gilbert! Did you forget? Today is Sunday. We always visit every other Sunday," Lili said, shyly waving as she held a freshly baked peach pie in her arms.

"Oh right. Lizzy's somewhere inside the house, probably still a little pissed off. But, you should go happily greet her to put a smile of her grouchy face!" Gilbert said, hoping it would work.

"Come on, Lili," Vash said, walking off into the home as Lili followed closely behind.

"Save me a piece of pie!" Gilbert called out, as he lounged back into the chair.

Hopefully the sight of those two cute little faces would perk the 'witch' up. Then, Gilbert would be able to relax and retreat to the basement and play his games for awhile. He couldn't understand why Elizaveta constantly had visitors coming over to their house, it was annoying because that meant he couldn't walk around all day in his boxers! When company was over, she wouldn't allow him to even hide somewhere in the house to watch TV or browse around on his computer. She liked people too much, Gilbert thought. Sometimes she tried to act like a trophy wife, even though it clearly didn't work and they were definitely not married. Although they had been dating for a couple years, it did actually feel like they'd been married for at least 10. She would 'bitch' at every little thing he did; well, he saw them as little things.

Alright, so maybe leaving dirty clothing all around the house, eating on the couch, never helping with the chores, and complaining whenever she forced him to help with anything was more than just a small problem. However, if she actually took the time to acknowledge all of his awesomeness, he would probably be willing to help with things. It was a great wonder why she actually kept him around.

"Because I'm fucking awesome," Gilbert said to himself, as he tried to list many reasons to make himself feel better.

It must have been his awesomeness, that would be the number one reason. The second reason had to be the awesome sex he offered, although sometimes she would push him away; but whatever, she probably couldn't handle his wildness. The third reason had to be his sexy body, chicks dig the body. Even he couldn't resist himself, when he looked in the mirror all he saw was perfection.

His messy, snowy white hair symbolized the fact that he was just too awesome for color. He rocked at everything he did, so naturally his hair would be rockin'! His crimson red eyes was like a window, peering into his soul, and if you look into them, you automatically get sucked in and can never get out. With those eyes, he could make people do whatever he wanted them to do! The only reason they never did what he wanted, was because he felt it was wrong to use his great powers for evil.

"I could be a poet," he said, but nah, that was for sissies.

And now he was bored, out of coffee, a little queasy, and didn't want to go inside to be social. Everything seemed so annoying right now, he just wanted to go back to sleep and forget all about trying hard to please his partner, even though he wasn't really trying at all. He wished he could just do whatever he wanted, when he wanted. Yeah, just like he always did when he was around Francis, Antonio, and..

"Lovi.." he whispered, a faint blush appearing on his face as he remembered some of the hot 'events' from the night before.

Lovino had a really nice body, from what he recalled. A few hours ago he'd been lucky enough to get a better view of it in the daylight, when Lovino scurried about the room to put on his clothes.

"So cute," Gilbert chuckled, almost wishing he could have been the one to dress Lovino, or perhaps, undress him. Oh wait, he had done just that last night. It seems his memory of it all had completely returned.

"Man, I'm good!" he said to himself, repeating the sexual experience in his head over and over again like a movie that was in the first person point of view. Lovino wasn't bad himself, he had many nice moves and techniques of his own, for a guy whose main noticeable trait was his bad attitude. It was the first time Gilbert had ever done it like that before, with someone who put so much passion into it.

He enjoyed the way Lovino had kissed his chest and playfully pulled his hair. He liked to gaze into those dazzling, teary hazel eyes that stared back at him with so much lust, it turned him on even more. The best details were Lovino's burning, embarrassed red face the entire time, as he bit his lip to try and hold in his loud moaning, which he failed to do by the way. It was so 'awesome' how he called out Gilbert's name many times, which let him know how good it felt.

If only Elizaveta would do such things, instead of treating him like a bull and sometimes roughly fighting back as if she was fighting for dominance, which was impossible because of his awesomeness, Gilbert thought.

As if he'd completely forgotten she was in fact his _girlfriend_, it only now just hit him what this whole situation meant.

"Then, that means… fuck," Gilbert cursed, because this now labeled him as an official **cheater**.

His ignorance had blocked that fact from him, and he realized that his little fun last night wasn't simply just a big secret between him and Lovino. No, it was a commit of adultery; sure they weren't married but it was still that! Not even once in his life had he thought of doing such a thing, but that was only because he never cared for long-term relationships, instead he preferred the occasional awesome flirting with people and one-night stands. One day, however, he realized that while everyone around him started to take their relationships seriously, and even some of his old friends getting engaged, he was still alone. Of course, now he had someone but he had fucked it up in one emotional night.

Suddenly, he began to panic. Not only would she kill him if she'd ever found out, but she'd tell everyone about his crime, then his reputation as being the most awesome guy ever would be ruined, and he'd be known as a liar, a cheater, and a whore.

Another problem was that deep inside, he knew he had some feelings for Lovino. Those had appeared even before they had sex, long before. There was no way he could be with both of them at the same time, with their acknowledgment. So, he had decided to keep what he already had before he would have nothing. That didn't solve the problem, though, and those damn feelings began to grow the more time he spent with Lovino. And well, last night had sent him over the edge.

He promised he wouldn't tell a soul, but what should he do? If he went into the house right now, he wouldn't be able to look his girlfriend in the eyes without spilling the beans from all of the horrible guilt inside of himself. Usually, when he had a problem, he'd consult Francis. That guy always knew what to say, but sometimes he only made it worse by saying things such as the truth being able to set people free.

"Fuck that, I don't want to die," Gilbert said, as he stood up and discreetly exited the property. He supposed the only thing to do was to visit the nearest chapel and confess his sins like he used to when he was little.

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><p>Lovino plopped down on his bed, wildly screaming into his pillow like a small child. After his lungs gave out, he turned over on his back and stared at the ceiling. His eyes started to water as he couldn't believe what he had done. If only he had kept his hands to himself, he wouldn't have ruined Gilbert's relationship; as if it wasn't already kind of screwed up and odd enough! It was normal for Gilbert to fuck things up and then get kicked out for many different periods of time, so why had things gone differently this time?<p>

He had to admit, that night had probably been the greatest night of his entire life so far. Yes, he could still feel a little bit of pain but god damn it, it was worth it. It was different from the couple times he had done it with chicks back in his college days, which was only a couple years ago, but it was still amazing. He thought the simple fact that he had done it with Gilbert would be a reason to love it, but that bastard sure knew how to give him what he wanted. He was wild, but Lovino liked that, it really suited him.

"What the fuck! Am I turning into that French creep?" Lovino yelled, trying to get the perverted thoughts from his head.

He would very much have liked to think about something else now, but he just couldn't. Not only did he kiss his crush, but they went so far as to have _sex_. While it seemed like an accomplishment at first, it was tragic. He had respect for other people's relationships, but that all seemed ruined now, considering he didn't have any of that respect last night. Now it would seem like a very unfortunate incident between two drunk friends, something that happened at the spur of the moment. He didn't want that at all, because that would mean he would soon be forgotten, once Gilbert got over it.

"I'm pathetic.." he said to himself, rolling over onto his stomach so that his pillow would absorb his tears.

One thing that was for sure, was that it would be extremely awkward and uncomfortable around Gilbert from now on. He didn't even want to think about how it would be around him _and_ Elizaveta. If luck was on his side, he wouldn't have to face either of them for a long time. Maybe if he waited long enough, this whole thing would just blow over and be forgotten.

"Yeah, right. Maybe when I'm long dead," he shook his head, as he stood up and wiped his tears.

He glanced in the small mirror on his desk, to find that he looked like a total disaster. Those dark marks and bags under his eyes didn't suit him at all, and his hair hadn't even been brushed since yesterday morning. He desperately needed to get it together, and to look like his usual dashing self. He grabbed a spare change of clothing and hopped into the shower.

"..Alright, that's fucking disgusting," he shuddered, as he watched the little present Gilbert had decided to leave deep inside of him go down the drain. At least he wasn't a woman, so there was no need to panic in case of an unplanned pregnancy.

After drowning his sorrow in the hot steam, he exited the bathroom and dried off, putting on his new clothing and feeling fresh. Well, he looked fresh but he still felt like the most miserable person on earth. Seriously? Sleeping with your best friend, aka your acquaintance's boyfriend? He just couldn't get over it.

He thought about slouching down onto his bed once again, or watching a long stupid movie to put him to sleep, but a sudden knock came to his door.

"What?" he answered, as he opened it and stared at his younger brother.

"Do you want to go out to dinner with Luddy and I? We're going somewhere Italian so you don't have to worry," Feliciano offered, smiling as Lovino looked far better now than he did when he had first arrived home.

"For the last fucking time, when you make offers with **his **name in it-" Lovino began to rant, but was interrupted by the sound of his rumbling stomach. He had just remembered that he woke up at noon, but hadn't eaten all day. This sudden attack became unbearable, and he needed to stuff something in his mouth as quickly as possible.

"Sounds like you're hungry! The offer still stands, of course," Feliciano smiled brightly, as Lovino resisted the urge to smack that grin off of his face. He couldn't, anyway, he was far too weak and only cared about food right now.

"Does that fucker know he's paying?" Lovino grumbled, as he grabbed his sweater.

"He usually pays when we go out to eat, because he likes to leave an approximate amount as a tip. Something about being orderly."

"Good, I'll make sure to order the biggest dessert there is," Lovino chuckled, as they walked out of the house and locked the door behind them.

"Dessert sounds really good right about now. And hey, I'll drive!" Feliciano cheerfully grabbed the keys from Lovino's hands and hopped into the driver's seat.

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><p>After running 6 red lights, 3 stop signs, making an illegal U-turn, almost crashing into a fire hydrant, running over a poor squirrel, and all the while going over 100 miles per hour, they finally arrived at the restaurant in which Ludwig was supposed to meet them at. Lovino smiled to himself when he saw that it was one of his favorites, he would sometimes go there alone, just to have a cup of coffee or a little bit of chocolate to calm his nerves.<p>

It was ruined when he saw Ludwig's obnoxious German face.

"Did you arrive here safely?" Ludwig asked, as Feliciano gave him a big hug.

"Yup! No problem at all, and my brother is so happy to join us," he said, turning around to face Lovino.

"Yeah, I'm so fucking happy to see your ugly ass face. Let's get inside already, I'm starving as hell and you're paying," Lovino hissed, rolling his eyes as his venom stung Ludwig straight in the chest.

Being the third wheel is no fun, especially when you have to listen to your little brother go on and on about bullshit the entire time. After Lovino ordered his favorite plate of pasta with Spanish tomato sauce, he watched in disgust as Feliciano sat so close to Ludwig and helped him order something meaty.

"So, earlier I told Luddy not to worry anymore, since you were with Gilbert last night. Turns out he was worried because he heard about those love bird's little argument and Gilbert wouldn't answer his phone, either!" Feliciano said, as he swirled his glass of red wine in one hand.

"Oh yeah? I don't really care," Lovino spat, as he went back to playing with the tablecloth on his side.

"Well, I wanted to properly thank you. So, thank you for taking care of my brüder, I know he can be a handful when he's drunk," Ludwig said, then flinching at the death stare that Lovino shot at him.

"I wasn't taking care of him! We just went out for drinks like we usually do, it's nothing special. So won't you two stop being so damn annoying?" he said, quickly gulping down his entire glass of wine and hoping the pretty waitress would be bringing their food back soon.

"Is something wrong? You seem especially grouchy today ever since you came back earlier," Feliciano said, looking concerned as Lovino nervously tapped his fingers on the table.

"You're blind, nothing's wrong. Except for the fact you won't shut up about it."

"As long as everything went alright. I'm just glad you two didn't go drunk driving.. So, do you know where he went afterwards? He only texted back earlier saying that he was busy," Ludwig asked, as the waitress finally arrived with their steaming plates of food.

"Yeah, yeah. He went back to make up with his broad, and he's probably busy having make-up sex right now so who gives a shit?" Lovino flatly said as he quickly ravished his food. It tasted even more delicious than it'd ever had before, probably because he was starving and trying to eat away his depression.

"Oh, alright.." Ludwig fidgeted in discomfort from that personal information and began to eat his food.

"It all looks so delicious! Here, taste mine. It's heavenly," Feliciano exclaimed, taking his food and shoving it into Ludwig's open mouth.

"Mm! - Indeed, it is very delicious. Please warn me next time?" he said, after he swallowed the food and wiped the excess sauce from the corner's of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, let's try it again," Feliciano then took his fork and fed a little more to the blushing German next to him, as if he was some big baby.

Lovino only shook his head and tried to ignore the disgusting sight in front of him. When he finished his plate, he would make sure to get the most expensive dessert possible to make the damn potato bastard think twice before acting so horribly in his presence.

He barbarically gulped down another glass full of red wine, and then some water. He then mumbled, "I fucking hate couples."

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><p><strong>AN: Ohonhonhon~ I don't know. Next chapter will be up sooner or later, but I might update my other story first. I think I kinda like where this is going, hmm, you tell me.**


	2. Life is Grey

**A/N: Yay chapter 2! No idea what will happen in chapter 3. 8D... Enjoy!**

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><p>When Lovino awoken in his bed that morning, he only sat there for awhile before trying to go back to sleep. It was still pretty early, and he didn't have work today so why not lounge around? His depression hadn't ceased since his little incident with Gilbert almost two weeks before. Thinking about it only made him feel even more like crap, so he shook those thoughts from his head and turned his pillow over to the cool side. As if that would actually work. He groaned and decided to deal with it, so he slowly arose from his stupid bed and went into the bathroom to start his morning. The evil water in the sink wouldn't warm up so he had to wash his face with cold water, which made his mood even worse.<p>

He finally took notice of the voices downstairs and figured Feliciano hadn't gone off to class yet. Next year he would probably be graduating from his college and have to be an official boring adult just like Lovino. He was proud of his younger brother, having made it so far, but yet he still acted just like a child. He couldn't understand how his professors put up with him, maybe it was his charming ways or the fact that he was good at what he did. Art school was no joke, though.

Lovino yawned and scratched his head as he walked down the stairs, ever so slowly. The voices ceased when he emerged in the dining room. He looked down and forgot he was only wearing his tomato boxers and his black tank top which was pretty worn out. He didn't care, though, it was his house and he could dress however he pleased. And since he knew Feliciano's friends very well, he didn't care to try and look presentable around them. Well, except when Feliciano would bring some of his lady friends there, then he'd look as fresh as a movie star.

"Oh, good morning!" Feliciano said, walking over and quickly hugging his brother.

"Morning," Ludwig awkwardly greeted him with a short wave.

"Good morning, Mr. Vargas," Kiku said, bowing his head.

"You don't have to be so formal around me. See, that bastard isn't," Lovino said to Kiku, then lazily glared at Ludwig. Being super angry and spiteful first thing in the morning was more difficult than usual.

He shrugged and went into the kitchen to find something to munch on. Jackpot, it turned out Feliciano had already made him some toast with his favorite strawberry jam next to it. Lovino quickly grabbed the plate and added some actual strawberries to the side, then he grabbed a small cup of coffee and headed to the table. The others were still discussing some crap he didn't care about, so he simply watched whatever they were doing with some papers while he chewed on the toast.

"I don't particularly like this picture," Ludwig said, examining one of the papers in his hands.

"But, you drew it so well! You've come a long way, I'm very proud," Feliciano smiled, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, much to Lovino's dismay.

"I think it is very well done, too. Which one are you submitting for the exam?" Kiku asked.

"I'm going with this beauty," Feliciano picked up a beautiful scenic painting and smiled in accomplishment of his work.

"That's.. so beautiful, when did you paint that?" Ludwig asked, as he and Kiku only stared in awe.

"Geez, won't you guys be late for class?" Lovino interrupted, somehow getting annoyed from all the talking. He usually didn't really mind when his brother's best friends would come over, with the exception of Ludwig. But, everything in those past couple weeks annoyed him far more than they ever had. If he wasn't feeling happy, jolly, and an excess amount of glee, why should anyone else?

"Oh, right! I'll be back later this evening, if nothing comes up. What are you going to do today?" Feliciano asked.

"I don't know, I was planning on visiting Toni. Now get the hell out of here."

"Alright, see ya!" Feliciano said, as they each grabbed their things and hurriedly exited the home.

"Finally, peace and quiet.." he said, pretty much tossing his plate into the sink and slouching down onto the couch.

He decided to check what was on TV. The food channel only made him envious because he knew he'd never be able to cook like that, he definitely wasn't going to watch some shitty children's cartoons, either. He finally came across one of the drama channels, and felt a little relieved when he saw that his favorite series was on. Although, he only watched it when he was home alone because he figured a man with his great looks and charms would never watch such things. Still, it was intense.

"Fernando, how could you do this to me? You cheater!" the character on the screen yelled.

Alright, fuck this. Watching such a dumb show was pointless and only made him feel worse than he already did. He quickly shut off the TV and threw the remote control across the room. Luckily, it didn't break from his sudden wrath. Lovino stared up at the ceiling and wondered what had become of his life. He didn't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend, he only had a few friends that only really talked to him when he contacted them first, and he hadn't heard from the very person he really liked in almost two weeks. That last part might've been a good thing, but still. It was agonizing.

After a couple minutes of feeling sorry for himself, he got up from the couch and retreated back up the stairs. He stripped himself and hopped into the shower for awhile to hopefully heat up his mood. The warmness from the water helped a little bit, to his surprise, and he put on his favorite casual wear after drying off. Lovino grabbed his cell phone, keys, and whatever else he needed before leaving his house and jumping into his old Porsche convertible.

The drive to the outskirts of the big city was a smooth one, and the wind felt good flowing through his chestnut hair. He felt badass with his big hipster shades on, even though it wasn't particularly very sunny, but he still looked good. Once he'd arrived at his destination about 20 or so minutes later, he parked in front of the driveway of Antonio's Spanish-style home. The exterior and landscaping was lovely as usual, and the distinct smell of fresh tomatoes filled the air, along with the beautiful scent of the garden flowers.

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><p>Lovino knocked really hard on the door and impatiently spammed the doorbell. After a few seconds, the slow bastard finally answered it and smiled brightly at his guest.<p>

"Lovi! Sorry, I was in the back. Come on in," Antonio said, as Lovino waltzed into the home anyway as if he owned it.

Lovino had been there many times, too many to count. He already knew every corner of the house, so he walked straight into the beautiful dining room and sat in a chair at the table.

"Can I get you anything? How about some lemonade?" Antonio offered, already walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge.

"Sure, whatever," Lovino dully answered. He took off his sunglasses and set them on the table, then looked around the room. It seemed that Antonio had bought more things to decorate the walls with, it looked nice.

Antonio came back into the room and set two glasses of freshly squeezed lemonade on the table, before taking a seat next to Lovino. The cool drops of water slowly trickling down the side of the glass was enchanting, and Lovino quickly took a sip of the tangy sweetness before staring at Antonio.

"Something wrong?" he asked, noticing the eyes on him.

"Something seems different about you," Lovino said, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. If it had been a few years ago, he would have noticed it right away. After all, he used to hold deep feelings for the Spaniard in their high school days. Sometime in college, though, those feelings settled down and eventually died out. He guess he figured it was pointless to love, if it was only going to cause him pain. This made him wish he had tried harder to resist those feelings he'd somehow gained for Gilbert in the past 7 to 9 months.

"Oh, I got a haircut! Well, only a little bit. The long hair I tried to grow out was a nuisance in the heat while I worked in the field," Antonio answered, embarrassingly rubbing his head.

"Well, it looks good I guess. You sort of looked like a wanna-be rockstar before," Lovino snorted, as he gulped the rest of his lemonade.

"Haha, thanks! I'm surprised you noticed, since we haven't been hanging out as much as we used to."

"That's because you live out here in fucking farmsville. It's only like 30 minutes away, but still."

"Yeah, but I love it out here. It's still close to the city and I can grow my own tomatoes! I do miss hanging with you, Francis, and Gilbert, though. We hang out sometimes nowadays but, it's not enough," Antonio sighed, and stared up at the ceiling.

Even the short mention of Gilbert made Lovino's heart clench in his chest. He had hoped spending leisurely time with his oldest friend would help, but that plan pretty much failed just now. He couldn't just flat out tell him what had happened, but he couldn't keep it inside of his chest either. It was like a lump of sorrow and regret just sitting there, taunting him every once in awhile.

"Hey, uh.. can I ask you something?" he started, looking down at the table.

"Sure, you could always ask me anything," Antonio smiled.

"Let's say, hypothetically, _just_ hypothetically, you got yourself into a sticky situation. Not like candy-sticky, but motherfucking super-glue-demon-sticky," Lovino said, then taking a few seconds and trying to word it best in his head.

"Alright, so you took your friend out for a drink because they were upset. It's a usual activity, you know, a friendly gesture. You then proceed to have a few more drinks than planned, and you both end up drunk. Next thing you know, you're having drunken sex with them."

"Wow, that is sticky," Antonio frowned, imagining the situation in his head as if it was him who had experienced it.

"What's even worse is that you've liked them as more than just a friend for awhile now, but were too scared to say anything because you're afraid of rejection. But, they also had a partner already. So, now you've pretty much helped them cheat on their partner and you feel like complete and utter shit," he finished, trying his best not to let his voice crack and holding in the sudden tears that began to fill his hazel eyes.

"I don't even want to imagine it, that's horrible!"

"It's hypothetical! So.. what would you do?"

"Honestly, I have not the slightest clue. I wouldn't want to come in between their relationship, but it's also not healthy to hold something like that inside. Then again, it's kind of like already coming in between their relationship since it happened in the first place. I don't know.. I'm sorry, Lovi. I'm not good at these type of scenarios," Antonio smiled sympathetically and gave a shrug.

"Idiot, don't be sorry. That was just a stupid hypothetical question. Don't worry about it," Lovino sighed and thoughtfully tapped his fingers on the empty glass.

"Well, alright."

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Just a second!" Antonio called out, as he patted Lovino on the shoulder and got up to answer the door.

Now what was Lovino going to do? He knew simply by saying what he had just said wouldn't give him a solution. It hardly even made him feel better, since Antonio couldn't give him any advice. It wasn't his fault though. After all, he wasn't the one who fucked his best friend and hadn't seen him in almost two weeks. This was getting tougher, and he needed to figure out what to do before things completely fell apart, as if they hadn't already.

"Look who just arrived!" Antonio said, walking back into the dining room.

Lovino looked up, while his heart dropped down to his feet. Standing there in the doorway was the albino man himself, looking just as shocked. He tried to look away but he just couldn't. His eyes and mind betrayed him as he stared at the figure, dumbfounded. If it weren't for Gilbert's mind to react first, who knows what would have happened.

"Oh, hey," Gilbert suddenly said, smirking and trying to play it cool as he walked to the table and sat down on the opposite side of Lovino. Luckily, Antonio didn't notice the sudden heavy atmosphere in the room.

"Hey," Lovino finally answered, his leg shaking under the table as he nervously went back to staring at his glass.

"Wait just a sec," Antonio said, grabbing Lovino's empty glass and running into the kitchen. He brought out a new glass from one of the cupboards and poured the ice cold juice into both of them, before quickly returning to the table and handing them to his two bizarre guests.

"Damn, this is sweet," Gilbert exclaimed, gulping down half of the substance already.

"Thanks! And boy, it sure is a nice surprise to have both of you here at the same time," Antonio chimed, as he sat back down next to Lovino.

"Surprise? I told you two days ago on the phone that I was going to quickly visit you today," Lovino frowned.

"Oh I know you did, I meant Gilly."

"Um, no. I told you last night that we should go out and mess with shit sometime today," Gilbert said, shaking his head.

"Huh? Ah, that's right. You did! I'm sorry, I forgot and I have a little business to take care of soon."

Both Lovino and Gilbert wanted to knock the forgetful airhead upside his head by then. At least he didn't invite the whole damn neighborhood and then forget.

"Since you're both here, I need your opinion on something!" Antonio suddenly said, getting up and walking back into the kitchen.

Lovino and Gilbert looked at each other in confusion, before remembering that this was supposed to be an awkward moment and quickly looking in other directions to avoid eye contact. Thankfully, Antonio returned only a couple minutes later. In his arms, he had two bowls, one big and the other one small.

"I used some of my best tomatoes to make this salsa. I wanted to try something new, so I added in different spices but also a little bit of sweetness! Tell me what you think," he said, setting both of the bowls down in the middle of the table.

Gilbert immediately took one of the corn chips from the bigger bowl and dipped it into the salsa.

"It's delicious," he said, giving the cheerful Spaniard a thumbs up and stuffing more into his mouth.

Lovino guessed he should stop being anti-social and tried some of the dip as well.

"You should give me the recipe," Lovino said, nodding his head in approval. Things were going smooth so far, nothing unnecessary was being said and no suspicions were rising. Only the small chatter between three good friends and a nice snack to go with the quenching juice.

"Hold on, I have to make a call," Antonio suddenly said, then getting up and darting from the room before Lovino could possibly stop him.

Damn, now things were back to square one. The light atmosphere suddenly became so intense, Lovino thought his head would explode in any second from the tension in that room. He discreetly looked up to find Gilbert was playing with his phone, which made him feel just a little bit less awkward knowing that the guy wasn't paying any attention to him. The only problem was, Antonio didn't come back in a few seconds like the times before. Minutes went by and Lovino could feel the sweat slowly inching down his forehead that he had to repeatedly wipe away.

Just be cool, he thought. Just act normal and nothing will go wrong. Being so nervous like this, I'm a wreck! I need to get my shit straight. Raising his confidence, Lovino let out a quiet sigh and reached up to the table to have another bite of the delicious chips and dip. That immediately felt like a huge mistake, because just then Gilbert had decided to grab a few chips as well, causing their hands to brush up again each other, which would have gave Lovino the biggest hard-on if he hadn't been so distressed at the moment.

"My bad, go ahead," Gilbert said, blushing as he took his hand back.

"No, you go. I don't want any," Lovino said, awkwardly shrugging as if he didn't really care.

"But.. you were about to get some," Gilbert raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I wasn't! I was reaching for something else. I'm not even fucking hungry so eat to your damn heart's content," he snarled, instantly regretting it as the room grew completely silent.

Another painfully awkward minute went by as Gilbert started to mess around with his phone again and Lovino impatiently tapped his fingers on the table. Things had only gotten worse, and he wished he could have shriveled up and died right about now.

"Hey, um-" Gilbert started.

Thank the heavens above, just then Antonio finally reappeared back into the room before Lovino felt like crying.

"Sorry about that. It seems I have to go sooner than I originally planned. What do you guys want to quickly do before then?" Antonio asked.

"I want to see the field," Lovino quickly suggested, anything would have been fine as long as he could get out of that stuffy room.

* * *

><p>Antonio cheerfully led them out of the house and into his beautiful tomato field. It was a long range, stretching almost farther than the naked eye could see. He had come a long way since he first inherited the place from his grandfather. Now, it was probably 3 times its original size and he even had a little bit of livestock in the small nearby barn.<p>

"You could pick one out and take it home, if you'd like," he offered, walking through the many lanes to check on the vegetables.

Lovino decided to take that offer, and walked around the pick out the best one. It had to be big, and firm on the outside. But, it still needed to be a little squishy so he knew it was soft on the inside. Hard part was, almost all of them were perfect. He figured Antonio really poured his heart and soul into taking care of them, which made him want to take them all home. His lips began to water from the beauties, when his thoughts of devouring them were suddenly interrupted.

"These look pretty damn good," Gilbert said, as he had somehow appeared out of nowhere and was now looking over Lovino's shoulder.

"Y-Yeah," he said, standing back up and beginning to stealthily walk away.

"Wait," Gilbert grabbed his arm before he could escape and turned him around.

Lovino's heart skipped a beat at Gilbert's touch and he felt like melting when he stared into those deep red eyes belonging to the person who was ever so special. It was like his whole world had crashed down and they were now the only two left standing. He wanted to look away, but then again he couldn't. It was as if the soul purpose of those crimson eyes was to add color to Lovino's grey life.

"I'm sorry," Gilbert said.

"For what?" Lovino murmured, barely audible enough to hear.

"For getting you into this mess, duh. I can tell you've been stressing about this, too. So I'm sorry," Gilbert said, finally letting go of Lovino's arm.

"I-Idiot.. It's not like it's completely your fault or anything, I just don't know how to act around you anymore," he said, tightly clenching his eyes shut to avoid the water works that felt as if they'd squirt out at any given moment.

"Tell me about it, I fucking hate this awkward feeling. And, it kind of is my fault for always going to you whenever shit happens between her and I. It's just, Francis always makes weird suggestions of cheering me up, and Antonio only says it's okay and then gives me good food. You're my most reliable pal."

That little compliment made Lovino feel a little less shitty and a bit more at ease with himself. He didn't know where this was going but he hoped that it wouldn't end awkwardly again, anything but that.

"Well.. It's not like we can just forget about what happened. But, I do think we can get past this if we try," Lovino blushed, looking down at his feet. "And I suppose.. I kinda miss hanging out with your loud, stupid ass."

"Haha, yeah. I missed your smart remarks and shitty attitude, you always give me a challenge!" Gilbert chuckled, and gave Lovino a pat on the shoulder.

"So then.. Liz?"

"She doesn't know, and I'm not telling her. We promised, remember? I'd say I've been being the best boyfriend in the world these past buncha days. I took her out to all those fancy mumbo-jumbo restaurants she's been wanting to go to, and even got her these expensive ass pair of shoes she wanted," he said, thinking about all of the unnecessary expenses making him uncomfortable.

"So you're bribing her? That makes you so damn awesome," Lovino sarcastically remarked, rolling his eyes.

"Well what else am I supposed to do? It's been keeping her off my back so far, so whatever."

"Did you two find the ones you wanted? I've got to get going now," Antonio called out from near the entrance to the house.

Lovino quickly picked out one of the biggest tomatoes and walked back into the house and then outside of the front door with Gilbert. After saying their goodbyes, the two of them walked down the stone path and to the driveway as Antonio went back into the house to get dressed for whatever he had to do.

"Where's your car?" Lovino asked, as his was the only one sitting there.

"Oh, I had a friend of mine drop me off on their way out of town. Shit, I came here thinking Toni and I would go back together."

Well, there was only one solution for this little mishap.

"Get in, we'll go back together," he said, unlocking the car and getting into the driver's seat.

"You sure?" Gilbert asked, but he was already sitting in the passenger's seat and buckled in, smiling to himself.

"Yeah, whatever. Then.. maybe we could get some coffee together? You know, to catch up," Lovino offered, blushing as he started the car up and began to drive off the property.

"Sounds like a plan."

The ride back into the big city was smooth once again. Only this time, it was fun to have someone next to him, and even better because that person was Gilbert. They joked and laughed together the entire time, even singing along to the absurd songs on radio stations that Gilbert continued to mess with. It was just like old times, doing silly things like back in their high school and college days. The four of them always talked about how fun it was, as if those days were decades ago. But, enough of the past, these days could be fun, too. The way Lovino saw it, everything was fun as long as Gilbert was right there by his side.

* * *

><p>They arrived back in the noisy, busy city. It was around midday, and they got out of the car to enter Lovino's favorite coffee shop. The employees were nice, the coffee was so delicious it was almost sinful, and the shop was located in a very lovable part of town. He liked to sit down at the tables under the umbrellas outside and watched as the many people walked by. There were many designer shops around, and a big park across the street. One could see all types of people walk in and out of these shops all day long, and the cute puppies that people trained in the park. It was an average place to be, but that's what made it so enjoyable: the life that it brought.<p>

After buying their drinks, they went outside and sat at an empty table. It was perfect outside now, as the slight breeze flew by and birds chirped in every direction. Lovino watched as Gilbert poured a bunch of sugar into his drink and rapidly stirred it around, before taking a satisfying slurp of the steaming substance.

"How come you always do that?" he asked, as Gilbert looked up.

"Do what?"

"You buy plain black coffee every single time, then you dump loads of sugar into it. Isn't the reason you get it black is because you like the bitterness?"

Gilbert thought for a second then answered, "I like it because it's plain, simple and manly. Then I add sugar to sweeten it up a bit. I don't enjoy the additives most people put into coffee nowadays, I like it old style."

"Right.."

"What about you? You always buy that same latte. Vanilla flavoring, extra sugar, whipped cream, and a little bit of caramel drizzled on top," Gilbert smirked, perfectly describing Lovino's drink.

"Because, it's good. I like sweet things. Hot, sweet things," Lovino said, slowly sipping at his delicious beverage.

They pretty much knew everything about what the other person liked. Starting from what they loved best, to what they hated most, Lovino and Gilbert would be able to describe each other without a single mistake if anyone were to ever ask. Maybe it was because they'd been friends for many years, or because they secretly watched each other's movements; whatever was the reason, they enjoyed each other's company and that's what was most important to them.

When they finished their drinks, Gilbert went ahead and bought them a couple sweet treats from the shop just for the hell of it. He came back to the table with a couple little brownies and a piece of strawberry cheesecake so that they could share it. Lovino smiled in delight as he savored every bite of the sugary goodness while Gilbert sort of ate them like a starved puppy.

"You're turning this into an entire damn meal. I haven't even eaten a proper lunch yet!" Lovino complained, as he started to feel gluttonous from all of the sugar intake at once.

"Neither have I. Besides, this is fun! Hanging out just like usual, you know?" Gilbert smiled, as he began to dig into the cheesecake.

"Fine, I guess it is.." Lovino childishly pouted, as he took his fork and they playfully competed for bites of the cheesecake.

"Lovi," Gilbert suddenly said, after they finished everything. "MFK?"

Lovino only stared at him in confusion as he repeated himself. Finally, he got what the guy was talking about and shook his head.

"Hell no, that game is dumb as fuck," he growled, using a napkin to wipe his mouth.

"Come on, we always used to play it back in school. Just this once?" Gilbert insisted, poking Lovino's side.

"That's because we were all dumb scumbags," he replied, but gave in as Gilbert used his signature puppy eyes and pouting lips. "Fine, bastard. I'm going first, though."

Lovino looked around the area for a few seconds to pick out suitable targets.

"Alright. Him over there, that woman, and then the chick with the sunglasses," he finally said, pointing to a man in a business suit and a large briefcase, an average looking woman in a nurse's outfit, and a 'hot chick' standing near the corner with a very short skirt on.

"Hm. Well, I'd marry the nurse, fuck the dude, and kill that other chick," Gilbert quickly answered.

"What? Are you _blind_? That's the most retarded answer I've ever heard, I thought you were taking this seriously," Lovino sighed and slouched in his chair, not amused.

"That's my answer. My turn now."

"But why? Why would you want to do that guy and kill her?" Lovino persisted, unable to grasp Gilbert's psychotic answer.

"Well if you look at it this way: that guy obviously has loads of cash. If I was going to sleep with him, I'd take his money afterwards. The nurse looks like a genuine woman, you can tell she's honest and actually cares. The chick over there, yes she is hot, but she's seriously putting herself out there. That much is _obvious_, and I don't want anyone like that," Gilbert explained.

Lovino looked at the three strangers again and tilted his head, "I've never thought of it like that before."

"That's because based on your logic, and the logic of every other person who plays this game, it only makes sense to choose to marry the average/nice person, have sex with the most attractive person, and then kill the last person of no interest. You have to learn to think outside the box for a change, to keep this game interesting."

"Yeah well, this game is still fucking stupid and I'm not playing anymore, you ruined it."

Even though they thought they knew everything about each other, Lovino could never figure out Gilbert's way of thinking. He always had a unique way of looking at certain situations, whether it was simple, complex, or just plain absurd. When everyone else was stumped about an idea or something unexplainable, Gilbert would come along and suggest something surprisingly interesting. This simple trait of Gilbert's was one of Lovino's favorites. He kept their simple lives interesting in the most obscure ways.

Or, perhaps Lovino was just letting this randomness all go to his head.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Gilbert said, pointing to a group of people gathered in the park.

"Let's check it out," Lovino suggested, but Gilbert had already got up from his seat to investigate, so Lovino quickly followed behind.

After they crossed the street, they approached the small crowd to find a man sitting on the ground, singing and playing the guitar. Many people stepped forward and put money into his guitar case, he was really good. Lovino looked around and saw many other fun things going on. There was a person giving away free balloons, someone had a bubble machine that was blowing huge bubbles into the air, small children chased a flock of butterflies, and a big family was barbequing. The whole park was like a scene out of a happy family themed movie. It made Lovino feel a bit happy inside.

"Man, this guy is good!" Gilbert said, as he stepped forward and put some money into the case and then went back to stand next to Lovino.

The man's angelic voice sang bittersweet lyrics of love, which reminded Lovino of his current situation. Just like the person described in the song, he also wanted something so close to him that he couldn't have. Those painfully beautiful lyrics almost made Lovino want to cry, and now he had the desperate urge to reach out and grab Gilbert's hand to hold onto it tightly, not wanting to ever let it go. But, if he were to do such things, he'd only make their predicament worse again. He felt that he needed to simply let go of this bright hue and accept his pitiful reality.

"Lovi, take this," Gilbert said. Lovino hadn't noticed at all when he walked away to the balloon stand and had now just come back.

"A balloon?" he said, taking it from Gilbert's hand.

"You looked sad all of a sudden, so I got one for you. They didn't have any awesome ones for me."

Lovino stared at the sudden gift before a smile grew on his face and he began to laugh.

"What do you think I am, a damn child?" Lovino chuckled, wiping the happy tears from his eyes.

"Well excuse me for trying to get that nasty look off your little face," Gilbert teased, poking Lovino's cheeks.

Their little outing of fun came to an end when Gilbert's phone rang. He walked away from the loud crowd to answer it and talked for a short while before returning back to Lovino's side.

"Sorry Lovi, I forgot all about meeting up with Lizzy and she's waiting for me."

"Way to go, Mr. Forgetful. Best boyfriend in the world, huh?" Lovino teased.

"Whatever, I get so busy having fun with you, that sometimes I forget things. I'll see you soon, hopefully?"

"I hope not. But, if you insist.." Lovino blushed, as Gilbert gave him a 'brohug' and walked off to catch a cab or the bus.

Lovino glanced up at the big balloon in his hands. Insanely ironically, it was red and in the shape of a heart with the words '4ever 2gether' plastered on it. It almost made Lovino sick to his stomach. Still, it was a gift and although it was incredibly childish, he decided not to let it float up into sky to burst from the pressure. He embarrassingly tightly held onto it as he walked back towards his car.

After raising the roof of the car so the balloon wouldn't fly away, he stuffed it in the seat next to him. "I guess it's just you and me."


	3. Classy

**A/N: I ended up being able to update this one first, since I'm still thinking about what I want to happen on the other story.. I'm a little stuck on it right now. :| So thanks for reading this chapter!**

* * *

><p>Gilbert waved goodbye to his Italian friend and walked off. A bit of sadness stuck in his throat, as he called for a taxi, wishing he could have stayed just a while longer. As he opened the door and got in, he looked back once more to see Lovino still standing there, emotionless, before walking off to his car. They'd be able to see each other soon, right? Even though they couldn't be together as more than friends, he was happy to know they'd always be best buddies. So, he tried to shake off this eerie feeling as he directed his driver to the outdoor farmers' market where he would meet with his girlfriend, Elizaveta. Hopefully, it wouldn't be packed with people like it usually was.<p>

Well, his luck was lost. He finally arrived to the stupid place and had to inch his way past so many people, it was starting to piss him off. Why'd she want to meet here in the first damn place? He'd rather be at home, sitting in the living room and staring at the TV. If that didn't work, he'd retreat to the little basement and play games all night long with his buddies. That reminded him, there was a guild meeting this afternoon! They'd be angry he ditched without notice since he's the officer. What was he supposed to say? His girlfriend was supposed to come first, even though this wasn't even an important outing.

Nonetheless, he dealt with this situation with his usual smirk on his face. He had no right to complain, and it wasn't like he'd die if he couldn't sit home and be lazy as usual. He walked around for a little while before finally seeing the face he'd been looking for. And man, that face looked pissed off, so he smiled brightly to hopefully spread his façade of joy. That stupid plan obviously didn't work.

"You're late, as usual," Elizaveta said, scowling as she did her usual pissed-off pose. Arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently, and eyes glaring; Gilbert knew it all too well, since he triggered this look often.

"Yeah, things went differently than I had planned. But, my awesome presence is here now!" Gilbert chuckled and patted her on the head as if she was a pouting child.

"Whatever, let's go find what we needed already."

Gilbert followed closely behind as Elizaveta led the way. The crowd of people seemed as if they parted to make way for them whenever they walked by. This was much easier than before, Gilbert thought. People quickly moved out of her way when she asked, and Gilbert laughed at the thought of everyone being intimidated by her. Sure, she could be quite violent when the time was right, but she was generally a nice person. Well, mainly in public.

Gilbert sighed and picked up random things to fiddle with, as Elizaveta stopped at every other stall and examined its contents. This was ridiculously boring, and he didn't even know why they were there. He was getting a bit hungry, since he hadn't eaten a proper lunch yet and it was already almost dinner time. All this walking around was killing him, and he wondered if he would actually die from not being lazy in such a vast amount of time. What a lame way to die! Walking around, and around, and around a large outdoor market. If he was going to die before old age, he'd rather it be because he did something awesome! Perhaps saving the world from a large meteor that was about to hit the earth!

"Gilbert, what do you think of these?" Elizaveta suddenly asked. She had to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention so he would stop daydreaming.

After snapping out of his awesome daydreaming, Gilbert looked down to pay attention to whatever she was talking about. They were standing in front of some sort of fruit stand, and she pointed to the wide variety of delicious fruits, then asked him the question again. He blinked a couple times, pretty confused, then shrugged.

"I don't know? They look fresh, tasty, and.. why are you asking me? They're just fruits," Gilbert snorted, just about ready to go home now.

"They're for the party, idiot! I was wondering if I should make fruit salad with them." Elizaveta picked up one of the pineapples and examined it, before smiling and deciding to buy a bag full of random fruits.

"Party?" Gilbert said, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah, I was going to cook something, but it'd be easier to just bring something like this. Besides, there will be high-class food there, and I'd feel too self-conscious to bring something fancy of my own."

"To the.. birthday party?" Gilbert asked, as he still had no clue what she was talking about.

He flinched when she gave him that usual evil glare, which obviously meant she was not pleased.

"The dinner party! Remember, the one Roderich is hosting?" she answered impatiently.

"What? You never told me about that," Gilbert frowned and felt annoyed from the mention of that stuck up aristocrat.

"I told you a month ago, and then I mentioned it 2 weeks ago! Not to mention when I asked you about it yesterday."

Had she really mentioned it so many times? Gilbert couldn't remember. If she had talked about it when he was playing one of his games, he obviously wouldn't have remembered. If she had said it when she was naked, that's another most definite reason to not pay attention to a word she had said. Maybe she mentioned it when he was tired, perhaps he'd just woken up in the morning. Whenever she had told him about it, well, yeah. He could not remember a single thing.

"I remember, I just don't want to go. I mean, who would want to see that spectacled douche?"

"Don't call him names! He's our friend," Elizaveta growled, walking off into another direction.

"He's _your_ friend. You know he doesn't like me, and I obviously can't stand him," Gilbert remarked, as he quickly followed after her.

"Okay, so he's _my_ friend. I'd like it if you two would at least get along. You don't have to be friends, just tolerate each other. Geez, it's been years and you guys still can't compromise? How immature," she scoffed, stopping at another nearby stall and examining a cute bag.

"I'm very mature! I just choose not to shove it in everyone's face, unlike him."

"Yes, because you're being very mature right now." Elizaveta rolled her eyes and continued to walk on.

"I'll go since I apparently have no choice, but don't get pissed when everything fucks up," Gilbert warned, sighing as he once again followed behind.

* * *

><p>They stopped at one of the little restaurants in the area to get something to eat. As much as he didn't want to discuss the situation anymore, Elizaveta continued to prod him about it. He supposed it was his fault for forgetting so often, but he had a habit of zoning out whenever she would talk. He couldn't tell the difference from average conversations and her nagging anymore, so he stopped listening completely. That was a very bad idea, because maybe she wouldn't have to nag if he paid attention for once. If he wasn't so stubborn, he would have noticed how unhealthy that was for their relationship by now.<p>

"Can we talk about something else now?" Gilbert suggested, about ready to scream his fucking head off as they drove home.

"Like?"

Gilbert never actually thought that would have worked, so he didn't have anything to talk about. After contemplating it for a few seconds, he shrugged and turned on the radio. Just in time, too! His favorite song was on, and if he wasn't sitting in the car, he would have gotten up and danced. He bobbed his head to the electronica song and lazily leaned his seat back.

"Ugh, I hate this song," Elizaveta said, as she stopped at the red light. She quickly reached over to the buttons near the dashboard and changed to another radio station.

"Hey, what the fuck!" Gilbert exclaimed, when he couldn't hear his song anymore.

"What? You said we should talk about something else, so maybe about your crappy music taste?" she teased, as she turned the volume up higher.

Gilbert groaned and tried to tune out the music he considered horrible. He closed his eyes and hoped they'd arrive home soon so he could lock himself in the basement for awhile and explain to his 'comrades' that he was late because of being led around all afternoon like a puppy. He was used to going back and forth like this, teasing her and then she'd tease back. But it all stopped being fun and entertaining many months ago, and instead it just became annoying. Whenever he teased her now, she'd get pissed off and try to kill him, and when she teased him, he'd get irritated and let his mind wander off into dreamland.

"Are you getting out or what?" she suddenly said.

Gilbert opened his eyes and sat up in the seat. His plan had worked! They were home and now he could relax until nightfall. He quickly got out of the car and darted into the house after grabbing the little shopping bags. He impatiently set them down onto the table and practically jumped onto the couch, sighing contently as he felt its comfortable cushions. Grabbing the remote, he turned on the TV and smiled delightfully while he watched some random comedy show that wasn't really funny, but always made him laugh at how lame it was.

"Don't get too comfortable, we're going back out in a few minutes."

What the hell! They had just gotten back and now they're leaving _again_? This was madness.

"What? But we just got back!" Gilbert whined, childishly flipping out on the couch as if he was having a tantrum.

"We had to drop the food off, it can't stay in the car while we go inside the mall. Did you forget about that, too?" Elizaveta said, seriously wondering how she could put up with his forgetfulness all the time. Either that, or he didn't try to remember because he didn't really care.

"Hm… I didn't forget, I just need you to tell me one more time," Gilbert said, trying to cover up his mistakes once more.

"I said earlier that I needed to pick out a dress for the dinner party. It's tomorrow night, since I know you've forgotten that, too."

"What about the dresses you already have? Those look fine," he said, turning his attention back to the TV.

"Those are casual dresses. I need something classy for this occasion, you know? Some of the most important individuals will be there, since Roddy knows so many high-class people," Elizaveta smiled, and waltzed off to the bedroom as she daydreamed about meeting such people.

"Mhm.." Gilbert answered late, he had stopped paying attention so long ago.

A couple minutes went by and his stupid show ended. He cursed at how he'd missed most of it since they came back home late, and now nothing else was good on the TV. It would be useless to go and play his game, because he'd only be able to play it for a few minutes before they'd have to leave once again. He sat there for a few seconds before whipping out his cell phone and calling the very first number on his favorite's list. After a few rings, they finally answered.

"What the hell do you want now?"

"Hey Lovi! Took you long enough to answer. How are you?" Gilbert cheerfully said, lying on his back and crossing his leg over the other. He looked like a perky teenage girl, talking to her best friend right about now. And that's pretty much how he felt.

"I answered only a few seconds after it rang! And, we just saw each other a few hours ago. What do you want?" Lovino's voice sounded grouchy, but he was actually more than happy to hear from Gilbert so soon.

"I just wanted to see what's up with you. So whatcha' doin'?"

"I'm planning what Feli and I will eat for dinner."

"Just eat pasta, you know you're gonna end up eating that anyway," Gilbert teased, since he was right.

"Shut up! That's not the only thing we eat, bastard. Unlike you and your stupid potato dishes, we have many sorts of things to choose from." Lovino blushed as he quickly put the box of noodles back into the cabinet. Was Gilbert psychic or something? There's no way he could've known exactly what Lovino was thinking, or maybe he was right. He ate pasta way too much these days.

"Whatever you say, 'Godfather of Pasta'. I already ate about 45 minutes ago, and I'm sooo bored. Say something funny."

"What? I'm not a damn clown, find some other entertainment. Aren't you home with Liz?"

"Yeah.. but she's being a meanie, just because I forgot about some stupid party. I probably wouldn't have forgotten if that stupid aristocrat wasn't hosting it. Whatever though, I'm gonna be the life of the party and he'll wish I had never showed up," Gilbert smirked, thinking about how much more awesome he'd be when everyone ditches that bastard and favors him instead.

"That's just like you to forget about something like that. I'd be pissed too, if I was her. You're an idiot after all."

Gilbert could tell Lovino was probably rolling his eyes right about now, and smiled when he imagined his red cheeks.

"Whatever, you're just jealous of my intelligence. But, instead of going there, I wish I could go to your place. Haven't been there in a while."

"Suuure I am. And, you know you can come to my place anytime.. when I'm not busy, of course!" Lovino felt his face heating up at a fast rate, even though Gilbert wasn't even there in person. Damn him for always doing this to me, Lovino thought. Even the most simplistic things coming out of Gilbert's mouth could make Lovino unimaginably flustered.

"Great! I just may visit you soon, then. Shit, I've got to get going now. Awesomeness out!" Gilbert said, quickly hanging up the phone.

"Bye…" Lovino sighed and stood there for a few seconds before hanging up as well.

If he could have, Lovino would have talked for hours on end without running out of things to say. That's what conversations between the two were often like. They'd bring up random topics and discuss them as if they were scientific theories that would somehow end world hunger or some crap like that. Gilbert would say something completely unnecessary or stupid, and Lovino would have no choice but to reply. It was fun though, and it was also one of his favorite casual things to do with Gilbert when they weren't together in person.

"Who was that?" Feliciano asked, as he walked in from the dining room.

"Huh? Oh, just Gilbert. So, what the hell are we eating tonight? I'm starved."

"Aren't we going to eat pasta?" he asked, going through the cabinets and pulling out the full box of noodles.

Lovino quickly shook his head and looked in the refrigerator for anything else they could possibly eat.

"No, I thought we'd try something different for a change."

* * *

><p>Gilbert felt a bit uncomfortable in whatever store they were in this time. He was literally the only male in there, and tried to ignore the eyes that were on him the whole time. Well, he felt like they were all staring at him but he couldn't tell because he didn't dare to look. He stayed close to Elizaveta the whole time so no one would think he was there alone. What guy goes to a store full of women's apparel? Dresses, skirts, blouses, panties, thongs, and brassieres filled every corner of the damn store. He felt like a pervert, staring at all of it. Maybe Francis comes here, he thought.<p>

"Should I try this dress on?" Elizaveta asked, holding up a long, black halter dress.

"I like this one," Gilbert smirked and held up a very short strapless dress, which earned a very disapproving glare from her.

"It's a dinner party, not a strip club."

"You're probably right. How about this one?" Gilbert then picked up an even skimpier dress and held it up towards her body to get a preview.

"Typical. Anyways, you do know what you're wearing, right?" she asked, as she walked towards the dressing room.

"Whatever I wear is always sexy and awesome, don't worry about it."

"You better have a tie to go along with it, then!" she said, disappearing into the dressing room.

Well, this was awkward. Gilbert was now standing alone next to the many dresses, in a store filled with quite a few attractive women. He looked around at the ceiling and the walls for a short while before saying fuck it, and doing whatever he wanted. So what if people stared? This was the perfect opportunity to have some fun in such a setting. He hastily took out his cell phone and went over to the section with strictly lingerie. He took a few pictures of one and sent them to Francis, imagining how big of a boner he'd get. But then again, that guy was probably so used to seeing stuff like that, it'd be no surprise to him and he'd simply yawn at the sexy pictures.

Just as he had thought, Francis only texted back with a winking smiley face and a "Ohonhon, naughty Gilly gonna try that on for me?" So he quickly deleted that embarrassing message and came up with another plan. This time Gilbert sent a picture to Antonio, asking if he wanted to buy it for him, since he knows it's a kink of his. After a minute, the guy texted back with a blushing emoticon and saying "Gilbert, what are you doing in such a store?"

This led him to wonder what reaction he'd get if he sent it to Lovino! He took a picture of the sexiest lingerie he could find and quickly sent it to Lovino. Not even 15 seconds later, his phone rang and he answered it with a huge grin spread across his face.

"What the fuck was that? You stupid, damn, perverted bastard!" Lovino yelled into the phone.

"Calm down, Lovi! You act like you haven't seen anything like this before. Oh wait, you really haven't," Gilbert laughed obnoxiously and turned the volume of his phone down, so no one else in the store would be able to hear Lovino on the other side of the line as he started cursing in Italian.

"Why the hell did you send that to me? Like I'd want to see what your grandma wears when she's alone," Lovino scoffed.

"Wow, nice one! And I was bored, so I sent it to you guys," Gilbert chuckled.

"You do such stupid shit when you're bored. What do you mean 'you guys'?"

"Francis, Toni, and you! Should I send it to our old professor?" Gilbert pondered, thinking of how hilarious it would be to get the professor's response.

"Hell no! And why are you in that store anyway?"

"I'm at the mall, shopping with Lizzy. She's trying on a dress and some other crap like that," he sighed, bored again already.

"Oh… well get back to it, fucker."

Lovino hung up not even a second later. Gilbert shrugged and figured he was especially grumpy this evening.

"How does it look?" Elizaveta asked, reappearing from the dressing room.

"It's perfect," Gilbert answered, sending Lovino a very 'friendly' text message of his awesomeness.

"You're not even looking," she grumbled, resisting the urge to smack the phone out of Gilbert's hands.

Gilbert finally looked up after pressing the send button and smiled.

"It looks good! You should get it."

"Do you even care how it looks?" she frowned, walking back to the dressing room.

"What do you mean? 'Course I do!" Gilbert grabbed her by the wrist and whirled her around, small tears filled her eyes.

"You're always spacing out and talking to your friends.. and you spend more time with them than you do with me. You don't even want to go to this party, and you don't care for half the things I say," Elizaveta said, a lump in her throat.

"Ah… that's true. I mean, some of that is true! But, I do care, it's just a lot has been on my mind lately. We'll go to the party, and everyone will be amazed at how beautiful you are. You'll make everyone jealous," Gilbert smiled, his odd and mysterious ways of charming taking effect.

"Fine, just don't make an ass of yourself," she blushed, pushing his hand away.

* * *

><p>The next day, Gilbert was rushed along by a panicking Elizaveta for hours. She was obviously really nervous and excited about the party, so he tried his best not to throw an irritated fit. He was sort of glad when nightfall came, so he could get the stupid thing over with and so she would shut her mouth. After she made the fruit salad and they finally exited the house, he made sure he was the one driving so she wouldn't have a nervous wreck and they'd end up in the hospital.<p>

When they arrived at Roderich's, Gilbert let out a long sigh and hoped this would end soon, because the second he saw the spectacled snob, he wanted to barf. As expected, Elizaveta hurried over to the nerd and kissed him on the cheeks. Roderich smiled when she showed him the fruit salad, and asked his butler to put it on the table of Hors d'oeurvres. Damn that bastard for being rich and having a personal butler. And damn him for swooning other people's women. Gilbert would have done something about this nuisance, but he was so used to it. He knew how she felt about him, so he shrugged it off and decided to make use of this night.

"What's up, Specs?" Gilbert said, as he approached the spectacled aristocrat.

Roderich let out a short sigh and did his best to treat this idiot albino the same way he treated his other guests.

"Welcome, Gilbert. Make yourself at home, there are plenty of refreshments and people here to mingle with," he said, pointing to the direction of his beautiful and huge party room.

"Then mingle I shall," Gilbert smirked, and waltzed into the room.

It wasn't a surprise at all when he saw so many high-class people in their expensive suits and dresses. Every single one of them had on jewelry worth more than he could count, and most of them were drinking some of Roderich's delicious champagne or wine. Some were old, others were young. But Gilbert concluded that all of them had a stick wedged so far up their asses, he wouldn't dare try to waste his time on them. His awesomeness deserved better, so he searched around for wherever Elizaveta had gone off to.

He walked around for awhile, but didn't find her. Instead, he settled for the beauties at the snack table. There were so many things Gilbert had never even seen before, so he tasted them all at once. Some were unexplainably delicious, the others tasted like tobacco so he hurriedly spit them out into a napkin. He barbarically gulped down a glass of water and wondered who the hell would digest such a despicable thing. Whatever, rich people are so fucked up, he thought. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Fancy seeing you here," Francis said, shoving a glass of champagne into Gilbert's hands.

"Oh, hey! The only other person without a hot rod stuck up their ass. What are you doing here? I thought Specs didn't like you," Gilbert said, chugging down the alcoholic beverage.

"What's not to like about me? But, I know for a fact that he doesn't like you."

"And I don't like his ass either, I'm here with Lizzy. Wherever the fuck she is," Gilbert shrugged and grabbed another piece of whatever the hell this junk was, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Oh right, she was in the piano room last I saw. A group of people were listening to Roddy play."

"Then that's where I should be." Gilbert gulped down another glass of champagne and marched into the hallway.

He looked around some of the rooms of the stupidly giant mansion and finally came across the piano room. He obviously didn't like what he saw in there, as his face tightened and he gritted his teeth. A group of people were chatting and laughing at whatever Roderich was saying, and Elizaveta was standing next to him, also laughing. The thing that bothered Gilbert was that the bastard's arm was wrapped so snuggly around her waist that he wanted to saw it off. It's one thing if they're good friends, but holding her like that and standing there as if _he _was her boyfriend was an entirely different matter.

Looks like it's time to break this little happy moment up.

"Keep your snobby, frail little arms to yourself, four-eyes," Gilbert said, as he approached the group of bastards and swiped Roderich's hand clean off Elizaveta's waist.

"Gilbert?" Elizaveta chuckled, trying to keep the tension in the room from rising any higher than it already was.

"There's a borderline to how much I can tolerate, and that bastard's way over it," Gilbert snarled, glaring hatefully towards Roderich.

"My apologies. I'll be more careful next time," Roderich said, smiling uneasily.

"There won't be a next time. I'll be damned if I don't make sure of that." Gilbert grabbed Elizaveta's arm and pulled her towards him. By then, a few more small groups of people had tuned in to see what the problem was. They all stared at the troublesome event unfolding before them as Gilbert and Roderich went back and forth for a few seconds.

"Gilbert, are you drunk?" Elizaveta asked, as she had never seen him act in such a way before.

"That seems to be the case," Roderich said, putting a hand to his forehead in frustration.

"I'm not! I just don't appreciate how you two communicate with each other and all this touching. I held it in for this long and now I'm tired of this shit."

"Who invited this guy? He's causing so much trouble," someone in the small gathered crowd whispered.

"Mr. Roderich is such a nice man, he would never do anything wrong. He doesn't deserve this treatment," another person whispered.

"That guy should just leave."

"It's his house, he should just kick that crude man out of here!"

Gilbert glanced towards Elizaveta for backup, but she only looked away as if she didn't want to deal with him right now. That neglect looked as if she was saying she didn't even know him. Well, he didn't need help to figure out that he wasn't wanted here. He clenched his fists together so tightly, he could've probably broken the piano in one punch. Instead, he let his hands lazily droop and turned to walk out without a single word to anyone.

Francis casually drank his glass of wine and winked at a couple women who kept looking his way. They giggled and continued to whisper to each other. Before he could go over there and give them a little taste of his love, he caught sight of Gilbert, storming out of the house. After thinking for a second, Francis sighed and supposed his friend needed him more than a couple beautiful women. But he would be back! And they would be extremely lucky souls to have met him!

"Gilbo, my boy! What's wrong?" Francis called out, quickly following as Gilbert marched down the pathway and to the car. "Talk to me."

Gilbert angrily whirled around . "Fuck this party, and fuck everyone in there."

"I don't think I can do that. I mean, there are many attractive people here but-"

"Not literally! I'm just.. angry, alright? I don't know, I hate this feeling."

Gilbert groaned and plopped down onto the curb, rubbing his head to try and calm himself down. Francis took the initiative and sat next to him, gently rubbing his shoulder. After a couple minutes of silence, Gilbert let out a long sigh.

"I want to make her happy, I really do. But, that bastard always does it better," he said, glaring towards the ground.

"If she wasn't happy with you, then why would she still be with you?"

"Hell if I know. Maybe she feels like she's stuck with me."

"Oh come on, you're not _that_ bad. And even if you are, she can't be any better, I'm sure." Francis sympathetically wrapped his arm around Gilbert's shoulder and smiled.

"Oh she isn't. We always end up arguing, or saying things that shouldn't be said. It's been going on for at _least _half a year now, and it's getting harder to deal with," Gilbert said, picking up a rock and throwing it across the street to hopefully hit one of the cars parked there.

"Then why don't you do something about it, if you can't take it anymore?"

"Because I'm guilty."

"Guilty of what?" Francis asked, looking towards Gilbert for a more specific answer.

"Nothing, I don't even know what I'm saying," Gilbert quickly answered. There was no way in hell he'd let his big incident with Lovino slip out. Not to anyone, especially Francis. He'd probably even rather tell God himself, rather than anyone close to him that may jeopardize the situation even further.

He stood up from the ground and stretched, yawning as he stared up into the bright night sky. Now that his useless anger had ceased, he wanted to actually have some real fun, instead of stupid crap like this lame party.

"Hey, let's go drive around town. We don't even have to go anywhere specifically," he suggested.

"But, there were two fine young rose petals-"

"Pfft! They don't want you, just drive!" Gilbert teased, as he walked towards Francis' car.

Francis groaned and decided to just go with the flow. He stood up from the ground and did as he was told.

"Everyone wants me, I'm the love doctor!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Now I have to think about the next chapter! And yeah, Gil and Liz have been falling out for many months now, but he doesn't wanna leave her cause he thinks she'd die without his awesomeness to be there for her. But really he's just afraid to be alone. And they'd been friends since they were little, he doesn't want that to end, either.**


	4. Guys' Night

**A/N: Chapter 4 babies! This is going a little faster than I thought. Thanks to whomever is reading this.**

* * *

><p>Lovino steadily watched as Ludwig worked on the engine under the hood of Feliciano's new red Ferrari. Damn that idiot for always buying showy vehicles that he couldn't even drive correctly. If anything, he should just ride the bus. Every time he got a car, it didn't take him long to screw it up. Now the stupid, macho potato bastard had to fix it and his ugliness was distracting. Lovino had to make sure he didn't screw it up even more, so he stared intently at those stupid, nicely toned and sweating biceps that dutifully went to work.<p>

"I think I may have found the problem," Ludwig said, standing back up and glancing over to Lovino.

"Well? What is it?"

"I'm pretty sure car engines don't enjoy human food," he said, lifting up a dark glob of old pasta from beside the engine.

"…Feliciano! Get your dumb ass out here!" Lovino yelled, furiously.

Feliciano knew that angry tone in his brother's voice, so he nervously exited the house and slowly walked towards the driveway. Lovino angrily glared at him as he approached, and he felt like crying already. Whatever was bugging him couldn't be good, so Feliciano stood a few feet away so as to not get pummeled into the ground by a raging Lovino.

"What do you think that is?" Lovino began, pointing to the hideous glob of noodles in Ludwig's hand.

"Old pasta? I don't think you should eat it, we have fresh noodles in the-"

"I'm not going to eat it, idiot! Do you know where the bastard found that shit?" Lovino hissed.

Feliciano nervously shrugged and changed his expression to the sad, childish one he wore whenever he was about to cry. This particular expression almost always made Lovino give in before the airhead would start bawling his eyes out, but this time Lovino overpowered him and continued to glare without yielding. If Feliciano didn't learn now, he would never be able to take care of himself in the near future. So, Lovino did his best to ignore that stupidly adorable face.

"He found it under the hood of your car by the fucking engine! No wonder the stupid thing was acting weird, are you _trying_ to break it? You're lucky he figured out the problem, or else you would have had to pay so much damn money to get this shit looked at by a mechanic. And you **know** how those bastards can scam people out of their damn money," Lovino continued to lecture, and still ignored the water that began to fill Feliciano's eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know how that got in there. Please don't be angry and sell it back to the dealers, I'll take better care of it, I promise!" Feliciano cried.

"You had better, or else I'll really do it next time!"

"Anything else you need?" Ludwig asked, as Lovino finished being a 'parent' and Feliciano wiped his tears.

"Since you're here, wash my car! You might as well be of some use," Lovino said, pointing to his car on the street in front of the driveway.

"Alright," Ludwig sighed, and finished cleaning around the engine of Feliciano's car.

Feliciano brought out a bucket full of soap and water and put it by the other car. He watched as Ludwig used the water hose to wet the exterior. This somehow looked like a lot of fun, and he decided he wanted to join in, too!

"You don't have to do it all alone, I'll help!" Feliciano exclaimed, as he quickly ran into the house to change clothes.

"Well, that would make the process go much faster, I suppose."

"If he breaks anything it's coming out of your wallet, bastard." Lovino lounged back into the lawn chair and watched from afar.

Feliciano quickly reappeared back outside, wearing a long white shirt and very short jeans. Lovino almost spit out his drink at how well his brother filled out such clothing items, that he thought only a girl should wear in this situation. He was about to protest, for fear of seeing Ludwig ferociously pinning his brother down, but the guy simply continued to wash the car with a faint blush on his face.

"Luddy, time for a shower!" Feliciano chimed, using the water hose and spraying towards Ludwig as he looked up from washing the rims.

"Feliciano, we're washing the car, not ourselves!" Ludwig complained, shaking the water from his wet hair.

"But, it's much more fun this way!" he laughed, spraying more water into the air.

Lovino continued to watch, unamused at the scene before him. Ludwig playfully chased Feliciano around the car, as they continued to have a stupid little water fight and laughed the entire time. It looked like a corny scene out of some ridiculously dirty movie. Ludwig's soaked shirt outlined his 'disgusting' abs and chest, and Lovino concluded that he didn't look like as much of a bastard with his hair down. On the other hand, Feliciano looked way too sensual, soaked in those small pair of shorts and that loosely fitting shirt that slid down from one of his shoulders, revealing his bare skin.

He was starting to feel sick to his stomach from watching the two love birds act so childishly, so he was glad when his phone rang.

"What is it, bastard? As if you don't call me enough as it is," he said.

"Hey, Lovi. Come to my place! I'll see you when you get here," Antonio said, about to hang up.

"Wait! Why the hell should I? It's sunset, and we're going to start making dinner once these two idiots stop screwing around like fucking ballerinas," Lovino snarled, angrily glaring towards the hideous couple that finally went back to properly washing his car. About time, too!

"It's an emergency, just come! Please?"

"Your house is so fucking far away! A thirty-minute drive isn't what I need right now," he complained, staring out into the beautiful sunset.

"But, I need you! I promise you won't regret it," Antonio said, continuing to plead.

How could he say no when the idiot was practically begging for his presence? Lovino **loved** the feeling of being needed.

"This better not be a waste of my damn time." Lovino hung up the phone and sighed.

After warning that bastard, Ludwig, not to do anything to Feliciano while he was out (or else he'd do something unspeakably horrible to him), Lovino hopped into his car once they'd finished drying it off and headed for the road leading out to Antonio's place. This 30 minute waste of the gas in his car had better not be for nothing, or else Antonio would surely meet his doom once Lovino had arrived.

* * *

><p>However, when he actually did arrive, he was quite surprised to see two familiar cars already parked outside of the Spanish home. Lovino marched up to the door and furiously knocked, pushing the doorbell as if he was having a spaz attack. Finally, Antonio answered and smiled at him, puling him inside by the arm.<p>

"What did you want, fucker? This had better be good because I left the potato lover and my brother all alone at my house!" he yelled, puffing out his red cheeks in a big fit.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But, this is very good! Follow me," Antonio said, quickly walking into the living room.

Lovino sighed and followed after, if this little 'emergency' was anything less than a couple of dead aliens in the guy's house, then he was going to kill him. When they got to the living room, he was actually surprised to see the faces of his other two good friends. They didn't seem surprised to see him, though.

"Lovi," Gilbert said, smiling and patting the seat next to him on the couch. Lovino shrugged and obeyed, but only because he felt like it, and because that was the only seat left! Not because it was Gilbert who he'd be able to sit next to. Definitely not that reason.

"Now that our cute Italian is here, what'd you call us for, Tonio?" Francis asked, ignoring the evil glare Lovino sent his way.

"Right! So, I was thinking about how we haven't hung out in a while, the four of us as a group. That fact made me feel really sad because I love you guys a lot!" Antonio confessed.

Lovino tried to keep his stomach from barfing, Gilbert tried to hold in the laughter from that embarrassing statement, and Francis smiled in agreement as he thought to himself about the fact that he's irresistible.

"We already know that, and I agree. We really should hang out more," Francis said.

"I've been busy lately. And a lot has been going on between Liz and I, so I guess I'm sorry for not sharing my awesome self with you all," Gilbert said, apologetically bowing his head. Lovino wanted to smack him.

"You don't have to be sorry! I've been a little busy, too. In fact-"

"Just get to the fucking point!" Lovino yelled, cutting Antonio off.

"Oh, right! So, I think it only makes sense that we should just hang out tonight, like right now!" he finished, smiling brightly.

The other three stared at him for a few seconds as they quietly thought to themselves. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea after all.

"You mean like a guys' night?" Gilbert asked.

"Yup, exactly like that!"

"What the hell are we going to do, play hide-and-seek?" Lovino snorted.

"Forget that children's game. With the four of us, we could play an adult game instead. You know?" Francis winked, as he had somehow appeared right in front of Lovino. He playfully inched a couple fingers down the front of Lovino's shirt.

"What the fuck? Hell no!" Lovino blushed deeply and quickly swatted Francis' hand away.

"What? There are many videos games that aren't for children because of the gore. Did you think I meant something else? Oh, you pervert!" Francis teased, knowing exactly that he set it up so Lovino would think otherwise.

"Haha, I see what you did there. Good one, Francis!" Gilbert chuckled.

"Screw you guys, I don't have time for this." Lovino stood up from the couch and walked out of the room. Before he could make it to the front door to leave this stupid place, Gilbert grabbed his wrist and swung him back into the room.

"Aw, c'mon Lovi. We're just messing with you! It'll be fun, whatever the hell Toni has planned," he said, smirking and patting Lovino's head.

"Tch. Whatever, I guess I'll stay to see what type of idiocy will be initiated," Lovino blushed.

"Actually, I didn't have anything planned. I just thought we'd talk and maybe watch TV or something," Antonio said.

They all gave him an angry, yet disappointing glare. Had he seriously just invited them all the way out to his house just to sit and do nothing? Yup, that sounded exactly like something he'd do. Before Lovino could flip out again, Francis spoke up first.

"As if we'd do just that. Where's your wine? I heard you had a delectable brand," he said, getting up and looking around the rooms until he came across the cupboard in the dining room. With Antonio's permission, he pulled out one of the heavy bottles and sat it on the table as everyone else joined around.

"I'll get the glasses!" Antonio said, running into the kitchen as Francis carefully opened the beautiful bottle of Spanish red wine.

"Great, look at us! Drinking wine for fun, without any chicks, like a bunch of lonely bastards," Lovino scoffed.

"Hey, at least it's something, right?" Gilbert said, as Antonio handed each of them a glass.

Francis poured each of them a full glass of the beverage.

"It's good, you've never given me this one before," Lovino said, drinking more of the delicious substance.

"Ah, yeah. It's my favorite bottle and it's really expensive. But, this is a perfect time to share it, with my best friends!" he smiled.

They silently drank the wine, engulfed in its irresistible flavor. This wasn't so bad, Lovino thought. He had secretly been wanting to hang out with his three friends as a group for a while now, since they hadn't for a long time. Adult life seemed to be all about doing serious things, like work, then managing time and money. They couldn't lounge around like they used to, and life was starting to get boring as they slowly began to drift apart. In the midst of Lovino's thoughts, he almost didn't register the sudden awkward question Francis asked.

"So, how's everyone's sex life?"

Lovino almost choked on the wine while Gilbert nearly spit his out all over the table. Antonio just blushed and stared, pretty shocked.

"What the hell kind of question is that? It's none of your damn business!" Lovino yelled, blushing deeply at the thought.

"What? We're all best friends and I'm pretty sure I've seen each of you naked at least once. So, I guess it isn't going well for you guys?" Francis smirked. It was obviously going well for him, he might as well refer to himself as the Sex God.

"Hey, I never said it wasn't going well! I was just surprised at the question," Gilbert said, silently sipping a bit of the wine and looking off in another direction.

"What about you, Tonio?" Francis asked, looking towards the silent guy.

"Well.. you know. Average?" Antonio answered. He didn't really know what to say to the question. He didn't have a partner, but he knew so many people it was almost ridiculous. Too bad his oblivious nature stopped him from catching onto the fact that a lot of those people had their eyes on him. He'd even slept with a few people, not at the same time of course. When his dates started fondling all over him, he didn't really even try to stop them.

"I guess I'll settle with that answer. How about you, Gilly? Lizzy succumb to your awesomeness?" Francis chuckled, since he knew all along that the frustrated couple hadn't done it together in months.

"Fuck you, Francis. I can get some any time I want," Gilbert snorted. He began to feel really awkward now. Maybe it was because he actually couldn't get it any time he wanted, and the fact that Lovino was standing right next to him sent shivers down his spine.

"Sure, sure. You _can_ get it any time you wanted… with your hand," Francis continued to tease.

"This is fucking stupid! I mean, seriously. I know we're guys, but do we have to talk about this?" Lovino butted in, very irritated as he then glared at Francis. "And you! You're the most stereotypical male I know, you sick fuck."

"Calm down, Lovi! We don't have to talk about this, we'll talk about anything you want," Antonio said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hold on, Tonio. I haven't had the chance to ask our little emotional friend here. So, Lovi! My sweet, dear Lovino. I know you don't have a partner."

"So, what of it, Frenchie?" Lovino growled.

"So, when's the last time you had sex? Must have been ages ago, right? Like, the ice age!"

Both Lovino and Gilbert's faces brightly lit up from that absurd question. Lovino practically froze while Gilbert nervously fidgeted around, looking up at the ceiling and over towards the walls surrounding them. This was unfolding into a nightmare.

"Shut up, b-bastard! You don't know shit!" Lovino finally yelled, his face a dark shade of red.

"Oh, so I'm wrong? Then shoot, I'd love to hear about it," Francis gasped, raising his eyebrows in interest.

Lovino stuttered for a few seconds and tried his best not to look towards Gilbert. His eyes quivered in their sockets and he almost felt like crying.

"Francis. Seriously, shut the fuck up," Gilbert grumbled through his embarrassment.

"How boring. You guys used to always tell secrets and now you won't even give me a little hint?" Francis sighed, then sat down to find something else for entertainment.

"There aren't any damn secrets to tell!" Lovino yelled, then before he knew it, he was dashing out of the room and locking himself in the downstairs bathroom.

"You pick on him way too much, what did I tell you about that? You take your jokes too far and this is what happens. You know how sensitive he can be," Antonio frowned, as he began to lecture Francis.

"You tell 'em, Toni. I'm going to check on Lovi," Gilbert chuckled uneasily and went in the direction that Lovino had fled to.

* * *

><p>Lovino let out a long sigh and stared into the big mirror of this beautiful bathroom. His face was unimaginably red and small tears rested on the corner of his eyes. He quickly wiped them away and gently smacked his cheeks a little. Get yourself together, he thought. There was no reason for him to feel this way, but he couldn't help it. He had felt so flustered from those awkward questions, but even more than usual. Whenever Francis had been so nosy and perverted before, Lovino would ignore him. But, something about the subject really caused him to panic this time. Maybe it was the fact that the last person he <em>did<em> sleep with was -

"Lovi? You in there?" Gilbert asked, suddenly knocking on the door and interrupting Lovino's thoughts.

Lovino's heart instantly began racing even faster than it was already. He nervously gulped before answering.

"I-I'm not here, so go away," he quietly answered, and trying to make his voice sound as clear as possible.

"That's really convincing. Well, I guess I'll just talk to the ghostly voice on the other side of this door," Gilbert shrugged and leaned against the door. "Look, don't listen to the shit that Francis says, alright? You know how he is, so don't worry about it."

"Even if he is a stupid, perverted bastard, that doesn't give him the right to say such things!"

"I'm not saying it does give him the right to act like an ass. But, hey, we all act like that sometimes."

"Yeah, especially you." Lovino silently laughed to himself.

"Yeah, yeah. Especially me… and besides, he doesn't know about our incident, so it's not like he could possibly have known how sensitive the subject would be." Gilbert scratched his head and blushed as he recalled their drunken accident that happened almost a month ago now.

"I guess that's true… too bad it'll never happen again," Lovino mumbled to himself.

"Hm?"

"Nothing." Lovino finally opened the door and revealed his red pouting face.

"Hey, you actually were in there! Where'd the awesome ghost run off to?" Gilbert teased, as he wrapped his arm around Lovino's shoulder.

"Shut up, delusional bastard," Lovino snorted, as he welcomed the warm arm around him and they walked back into the previous room.

Francis looked up as they entered the room again and Antonio finally stopped lecturing him. He smiled apologetically towards Lovino and waved.

"Hey, sorry about that, Lovi. I didn't know you were so asexual and-"

"Whatever, just forget about it. So, when are we going to have some real fun? I didn't come here for nothing."

"Oh, I know! Shit, why didn't I think of this earlier? We should go clubbing!" Gilbert suggested, excitedly flailing his arms around like an idiot.

"You mean like, club hopping?" Antonio asked.

"No, we'll just go to one. And that club just so happens to be the one Francis is the manager of!"

Francis quickly shook his head in disapproval. "I'm off work tonight, it'd be a waste of my time to show up when I'm supposed to be at home making love to multiple candidates."

"No one cares, we're going to the club! C'mon, you have no choice and this is your punishment for making Lovi upset. Besides, your club is like the most awesome one in town, man!" Gilbert said, grabbing the guy's car keys.

"Well, I thank you for that compliment. But, I'm driving my car," Francis grinned, snatching the keys away as the other three supposed they should follow along.

* * *

><p>They drove off of the property and back into the main city. Francis had to tell them to shut their mouths a few times so he wouldn't wreck, since they continued to excitedly yell. Lovino almost couldn't believe how much fun he was having, and all he was doing was riding in car, sitting in the backseat next to Gilbert. Antonio turned on the radio and they couldn't help but dance goofily in their seats and sing along to the fast paced music. It was great to have fun together just like they were used to doing.<p>

They cruised down the illuminated nighttime street of the busy city. It seemed that many people had the same plan as they had, because so many cars were out and about, it was as if everyone was going to a big party. Francis, being his usual self, honked the car horn at a couple of 'delicious' women walking along the sidewalk. Too bad traffic was moving along fine, or else he would have stopped in the middle of the street and quickly given out his phone number. Or as he liked to call it, his 'sexy hotline'.

"Francis, stop honking at Antonio's mom and sister!" Gilbert teased. Everyone in the car started laughing hysterically as Antonio sat there, confused.

"What? That's not my mom. And, I don't have a sister," he said, looking to the backseat and feeling clueless.

"Never mind, damn. You don't get it," Gilbert sighed and crossed his arms. Damn that Spaniard for being so oblivious, he just missed the most awesome joke of the century, Gilbert thought to himself.

When they finally arrived at the club, they got in quickly and of free access, since Francis was the manager, of course. It was already loud as hell as they made their way down into the main room, filled with people from corner to corner. Gilbert was right, this club probably was the most popular one in the big city. And ever since Francis had become manager, the place was even more livelier and filled with people who were just as bad as him or even worse. Well, perverts befriend other perverts, Lovino concluded.

"I fucking love this place!" Gilbert exclaimed, dragging Lovino to the bar with him. Even though he was excitedly yelling the entire time, Lovino could hardly hear a word he was saying since his ears were filled with the sound of the rave music in the background.

Francis immediately went to mingle with a few wild looking women on the dance floor, he disappeared soon after that. Lovino looked around to see Antonio offering to buy drinks for a few beautiful women sitting at the bar as well. Whatever charm he had hidden up his sleeve was obviously working to some extent. Lovino would have done the same with his 'badass charisma' and ability to make any woman fall head over heels for him, but he decided to keep to himself since he wasn't in the mood.

"Lovi, drink up!" Gilbert said, as he handed a random alcoholic beverage to Lovino.

"Why don't you go dance or something?" Lovino asked, as he gulped down the drink in only a second.

"Nah, not right now. I just want to have a couple free drinks, courtesy of Francis. Then there's also the fact that my awesome dancing might attract all the females, and I'd get raped right there on the dance floor," Gilbert bragged, his conceited nature and insane imagination wandering all over the place.

"Not that I'd mind it, but Liz definitely would," he chuckled.

"Yeah, whatever," Lovino said, rolling his eyes and gargling down another shot.

"And, I need to stay here with you to make sure you don't do anything stupid. With your depression and shitty attitude, you might end up naked and in the back of some dude's minivan, lying there tied up in the trunk. Can't let that happen."

"I'm not depressed, fucker! I'm as happy as can be," Lovino snarled, demanding another drink from the bartender, and this time it was much stronger.

"Yeah, you've just been wearing that scowl on your face the entire time we've been here. And now you're drinking until you pass out? That means you're the happiest guy in the world," Gilbert sarcastically remarked, taking another drink himself.

"It's just that, being here reminds me of how much I hate crowds and loud ass music," he said, turning around to stare at the glob of people on the dance floor, pretty much grinding up against one another.

"You need to socialize! There are plenty of nice targets here. See? Francis is practically dry humping those chicks over there, and even Antonio has a group of ladies around him. And me-"

"And you?" Lovino couldn't wait to hear what ridiculous thing he had to say about himself.

"Well, I'm taken. But, I can see everyone here is just too intimated because, well, I'm just that awesome," he laughed obnoxiously.

"You wish. I'm the one that everyone's intimidated by, and I simply choose not to associate myself with these wild bastards. I am a proud, civilized Italian and we show much more class than this debauchery," Lovino scoffed, gulping down yet another shot of the very strong liquor.

"You seriously just need to loosen up a bit, I can show you how," Gilbert smirked, gently massaging Lovino's tense shoulders.

"What the hell do you mean?" Lovino blushed, as Gilbert leaned in closer. He could slightly feel the warmness of Gilbert's breath tingling against his ear and sending shivers down his spine.

"I mean, I'll hook you up and you'll be having an awesome experience in no time," he whispered, then laughed and walked up to a nearby group of women.

Lovino couldn't hear what he was saying with them, but he could tell by the way Gilbert continued to point back at him. The idiot was trying to convince the women to go over there and talk to him as if he was some lonely, desperate puppy. Lovino's frown deepened and he turned his head back to the bar, not caring if they'd actually come over or not. In fact, he couldn't even remember what happened after that because he quickly chugged down more drinks than he could ever handle.

"That stupid bastard, trying to hook me up with some stranger… can't you see that the one I want is you?"

* * *

><p>After many more drinks and almost passing out, Lovino found a random seat in the place and plopped down into it. He didn't know how long they'd been there and he really didn't care. It might have only been a couple hours, but soon he realized that Antonio and Gilbert were helping him walk back and outside to the car, then shoving him into the backseat. He whined and complained about how he had wanted to stay and learn to become a DJ. Basically, he was drunker than an Irish man on St. Patrick's Day.<p>

"If he pukes in my car, you're going to pay for the cleaning, Gilbert," Francis warned, as he quickly made his way to Lovino's house to avoid that horrible scenario.

"What? How the hell would it be my fault?"

"You let him get dead drunk. It wouldn't be a surprise if he gets alcohol poisoning," Antonio frowned, shaking his head.

"He's not a damn baby and I'm not his guardian. Before I knew it, he was already like this. If anything, I was doing him a favor by hanging out with him since you guys ditched and went straight for the pussy," Gilbert grumbled. And well, that was the end of that argument since he'd clearly won.

Francis sighed with relief when they arrived in front of Lovino's house without any vile accidents. Gilbert helped him out of the car and practically had to drag him to the front door.

"Hurry up, Gil. We need to get back to Tonio's and then you can pick up your car. I guess Lovi can get his tomorrow, somehow. Well, later today since it's way past midnight," Francis called out.

"I've got this. I'll be out really soon, just need to tuck the drunken princess into bed," Gilbert chuckled. "Lovi, where's your key? Looks like Feli isn't home."

"They're in.. my damn pocket, idiot," Lovino mumbled. He felt as if the world was spinning out of control.

"Got it!" Gilbert quickly unlocked the door and dragged Lovino inside. Escorting him up the stairs was a little challenge, since Lovino continued to wobble, but they eventually made it to the bedroom. He plopped Lovino down onto the bed and began to help him undress.

"Damn, you sure know how to party hard, Lovi. I have to admit, that's pretty awesome of you," Gilbert laughed, as he untied Lovino's shoes and pulled them off, tossing them to the side.

"Damn straight, I invented partying," Lovino chuckled exhaustedly.

"Yeah, you sure did."

Gilbert smiled to himself and moved up to unbutton Lovino's jeans. This was the chance of a life time, and it was probably never going to happen again, so he had to savor this moment as best he could. It obviously shouldn't have mattered to him, that he was finally able to undress Lovino again and this time be sober while doing it; but it did matter, a lot. Shameful it was, but also very satisfying. With that thought in mind, he continued.

He slowly unzipped them, and then positioned the tip of his fingers inside the lining of the pants at Lovino's waist. The usual smirk appeared on his face as he inched the jeans further down and along Lovino's thighs. He paused for a second when his fingers brushed against the soft skin, causing Lovino to giggle from the coldness. He realized that Lovino would probably break his neck if he ever remembered this moment, so he quickly pulled off the pants completely, then laid them on a nearby chair.

"Heeeey, Gilbert. Can we hang out tomorrow?" Lovino asked, as Gilbert began to undo the buttons on his shirt.

"Why, do you want to?"

"Of course I want to, silly. I always want to hang out with you, whenever and wherever," Lovino laughed, then randomly frowned again.

Lovino was surprisingly honest when he was drunk. He was honest and a little weird, but still very cute. He should get drunk more often, Gilbert thought. Then, maybe he'd be able to squeeze a few secrets out of him and hope that Lovino wouldn't remember it the next day.

"Sure, we can hang out. Well, we can _try_ to hang out. I just might be busy all day tomorrow, I'm not sure yet," Gilbert said, as he helped Lovino sit up so that he could completely pull the rest of the shirt off.

"Nooo, you **have to** hang out with me, bastard! Or else! You suck, I hate you," Lovino whined, weakly kicking his feet into the air.

"I don't have to do anything, because I'm awesome. And, you don't mean that. You love me, don't ya?" Gilbert teased, poking Lovino in the forehead and causing him to tip back over onto the bed.

"I do."

Gilbert's eyes widened as a deep blush filled his face. Lovino must have drank way more than he imagined, if he actually just agreed to that. Man, I really hope he doesn't kick my ass the next time he sees me, Gilbert thought.

"W-Well, good luck with that killer hangover you're gonna wake up with," Gilbert chuckled, as he was about to walk out.

"Wait," Lovino said, grabbing his arm and forcefully pulling him down onto the bed. "Sleep here."

"I can't, Francis is waiting outside and I need to get home," he said, blushing as Lovino fondled his head.

"But, I want you," Lovino whispered.

Gilbert blinked a couple times and felt as if his nose was going to start bleeding any second now. Lovino was really making this hard for him, as if being in his presence wasn't enough. Now the drunkard had to go and say something like that. Gilbert was very weak when it came to temptation. He sighed and smirked, shaking his head.

"Damn, Lovi. You're seriously drunk as fuck," he said, letting his hand gently slide down Lovino's upper body. "That makes you so vulnerable."

Lovino only stared back into those deep red eyes; well he tried to. His world was still spinning from the excessive amount of alcohol he had taken in. Gilbert chuckled and gave him a flick to the forehead.

"You're lucky I'm not Francis. I would never take advantage of anyone, especially not you. Goodnight."

Lovino sadly watched as Gilbert quickly rose from the bed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He heard the sound of footsteps descending the stairs and exiting through the front door.

"Stupid, idiot, albino, German, potato-loving bastard. Damn it," Lovino cursed. "Get back here and fuck me!"

Lovino groaned as a wave of pain crashed into his stomach. All of a sudden, the horrible taste in the back of his throat grew worse and he knew what was coming next. He hurriedly darted into the bathroom and made it to the toilet just in time to vomit up his mistakes, regrets, and humiliation.

The many hours later in which he awoken meant the beginning of hell. He wished he could have died from all the alcohol instead of suffering the pain of this massive hangover that was the size of a damn whale. Worst part was, he couldn't even remember most of the night before. But, he concluded that maybe he didn't want to.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh yeah that's sorta like my headcanon for Lovino. When he gets drunk, he's really honest. Maybe a little too honest... :D**


	5. Old Times

**A/N: Update! I'll try to keep writing at a steady pace, but I'm having a little home problems and it's stressing me out, and I don't want to write while I'm stressed because of stupid things. But! I will do my best! So, please enjoy~**

* * *

><p>Lines, shadows, edges, hues and saturations; all of it made no damn sense. Feliciano kept talking, and talking as if he was speaking another language. Who knows, maybe he was speaking another language: Art language. Lovino tried to understand what his younger brother was telling him, he really tried. But, it was annoying how Feliciano explained it to him as if he was a damn five year old. He could have told it to him plain and simple, maybe then Lovino would have actually understood some of the things Feliciano was telling him. In actuality, that was all just an excuse because Lovino didn't want to admit that he seriously sucked ass at painting.<p>

"This is shitty. I hate painting and everyone who does it," Lovino said, ready to throw the paint brush down onto the newspaper that covered the area so they wouldn't stain the floor.

"Aw, let me see it." Feliciano walked over to his brother's side and stared at what looked like some sort of alien puking up dark colors.

"See! Even you think it's garbage!" he yelled, crossing his arms and glaring up at Feliciano.

"No I don't! It's good, I promise!"

"Then why are you staring at it like you just witnessed a two-headed cow give birth to a fucking square monkey?"

"Woah, you sure do have an imagination! Now all you have to do is put it on the paper," Feliciano smiled. He gently grabbed Lovino's hand with the brush in it and guided it along the paper. "Soft strokes."

"I can do it on my own… damn it," Lovino blushed, watching as Feliciano cheerfully went back to his own picture.

He continued to watch, unimpressed as Feliciano became one with the paintbrush. He painted rivers, mountains, the sunset; everything. He didn't even have to look at anything for reference, it was as if it was all in his mind. Lovino wasn't surprised, his younger brother had always been far better at artistic and creative things. And well, pretty much everything else, too. He looked back at his own painting and wanted to barf at how inhuman it looked. It was as if it was painted by a blind, alien baby that was having a seizure or something worse. The only thing he was really good at was coming up with random crap like that.

"Are you done showing off yet?" he asked, when Feliciano finally finished his masterpiece.

"I'm not showing off, I'm just happy you wanted to do an activity with me for once, besides cooking!" he said, standing up and observing his work.

"That's only because I had nothing better to do. I'd rather paint a crappy picture than sit and watch TV."

"I know, but I'm still happy to spend time with you. I feel like we've gone back to our childhood days," Feliciano said.

"If this were our childhood, you'd be crying your eyes out and then laughing like a dumb ass. Oh wait, you still do that even now," Lovino scoffed.

"Aw, Wovi! You're so mean," Feliciano teased, and wrapped his arms around his brother in a tight hug.

"You promised you wouldn't call me that anymore!" he yelled, trying to escape his brother's surprisingly strong grasp.

"But, it's cute! Just like us as kids."

"This is the last damn time I'm hanging out with you just because I'm bored!" Lovino finally managed to get out of Feliciano's clutches and walked into the living room, puffing his cheeks embarrassingly as he plopped down onto the couch.

It was barely even noon and now he had nothing to do. He wasn't hungry, so there was no reason to stuff his face with anything. It was Sunday, so their famous family-owned pizza parlor was closed. The stupid stock market was had been declining lately and checking it only pissed him off so he obviously wasn't going to do that. Browsing the television channels, internet, and listening to music all damn day was something Gilbert would do, not him. And well, being productive and creative with Feliciano obviously hadn't worked out the way he had planned it. There was zip, nada, nothing to do.

"Just like when we were kids, huh?" he said to himself, as he stared up at the ceiling.

If only it were just like when they were younger. They would run around all day with their friends and never get bored. He couldn't remember how that was possible, but everyday seemed fun even though he always had temper tantrums and cried almost as much as Feliciano. If he was given a day to be a child again, he would have taken the time to do so many things, he wouldn't have known where to start first.

"If you're bored, why don't you hang out with Tonio, Gilly, and Franny?" Feliciano asked.

"Last time I did that, I ended up with the worst fucking hangover the next morning and losing most of my memory. And stop calling them those childish nicknames, we stopped using them in middle school. Well, I did."

"But, I like using nicknames! It shows how close we all are. Besides, everyone calls me Feli and you Lovi."

"I'm beginning to think you have an unhealthy obsession with friendship and all that crap. It's pretty damn gross so I'd appreciate if you didn't talk about it in front of me," Lovino hissed.

"Why are you especially grouchy this morning? Is something wrong?" Feliciano walked over to the couch and plopped down next to his odd brother and began to cuddle him.

Lovino sighed. "I'm just bored as hell is all. I wish there were more fun things to do these days."

"Hm… you should go out on dates! That's always fun, and it makes you feel good inside to know someone's interested in you. Luddy and I go out on dates often," he smiled.

"Ugh, don't talk about that bastard to me. And, I don't need to do stupid, mushy shit like that to feel good about myself!" Lovino yelled. His brother was doing nothing but getting on his nerves now. Or, maybe he was just senselessly irritable.

"Then, you really should hang with-"

"Shut up! I don't feel like it, they just cause crap loads of trouble for me."

Suddenly, Lovino's cell phone began to ring. The ringtone told him who it was before he even answered it.

"Speak of the devil. What do you want now?"

"I'm not the devil, I'm Antonio, your friend! And, I wanted to know if you'd hang out with me today." Antonio sounded very cheerful on the other side of the line. But, he always sounded like that, until someone pissed him off. Still, you had to be the most hated and unlikable person in the world to piss someone like him off.

"The last time we did anything together, I puked my guts out all morning and spent the rest of the day in pain from a fucking hangover."

"But, that wasn't my fault. You should know your limits, and that was almost a week ago now! Please hang out with us?" Antonio pleaded.

"Who cares, I'm still pissed off about it! And what do you mean 'us'? I thought you were asking if I'd hang out with you."

"Oh, I mean Francis, Gilbert, and myself."

Hanging out with the other two dorks would be fine, but Gilbert would supposedly be there, too. That was a plus, so maybe he should - No. No, no, no. He had to stay angry at them! So what if he was bored? What happened last time still made him feel sick to his stomach whenever he thought about it. He probably even did something really stupid while he was drunk, so he was glad he didn't remember it. Still, he wasn't giving in that easily.

"Nope. You guys can get fucked up without me. Bye."

"Wait, Lovi! I'm sorry, please don't hang up! We're outside of your house already!"

"What the hell?" And sure enough, when Lovino got up from the couch to look out of his front window, Antonio waved at him excitedly from inside of his car with Francis sitting in the passenger seat.

"Hi Tonio! Hi Franny!" Feliciano called out, opening the front door. "Come in!"

"No, Feli! I already said I'm not in the mood to hang out with them, idiot!" Lovino yelled. He tried to slam the door but Feliciano skipped merrily outside and was already talking to the other two men.

Lovino growled and felt regretful already. He stomped outside to the sidewalk and glared at his two friends. For some reason, both of them were wearing sunglasses and tank tops. They also had on weirdly colorful shorts and sandals as if they were lifeguards or something.

"You guys look ridiculous. Why are you wearing that shit? Late summer job as swimming teachers for small children? You guys are sick," Lovino teased, his attitude and dark mood began to lighten from seeing them in that ridiculous state.

"No, and for your information, this is typical wear for swimming," Francis said, lowering his sunglasses.

"Are you two planning to go to the beach? Oh I want to go, too!" Feliciano exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly.

"That's too far, but we are planning to get wet!" Antonio said.

"That sounds wrong, but I like it. Yes, we'll be getting very wet." Francis smiled and leaned his seat back.

"And that's why I called you! I wanted to know if you'd like to come with us. Our 'Guys' Night' was alright, but it didn't go as well I thought it would. And I'm sorry about that, but I think we should hang out again! This time, there will be no women or other people to distract us from having fun with each other," Antonio preached.

"You still haven't said exactly what we'll be doing. And, where is Gilbert?" Lovino looked to the backseat many times as if the albino would magically appear there and be smiling up at him. But in reality, he wasn't there and they were the only two in the car. Never had Lovino been so disappointed.

"He said he'd meet us there. Oh, and he said if you're coming then you should try not to suck the fun out of everything. But, I'm sure he was only kidding," Antonio laughed to himself.

"Is that what the bastard said? Then I'll do just that!" Lovino angrily marched into the house and changed into his swimming trunks and wore a light T-shirt. He dug through his drawers and fished out his sunglasses and picked up his favorite beach towel. So Gilbert wanted to play jokes, huh? Then he'd show up and give that stupid albino just what he wanted. Better yet, he'd pretend to be so enthusiastic that Gilbert would wish he was having as much fun as Lovino. Yeah, that was the plan!

"I'm coming, too! Can Luddy join us? He needs a break from his daily routine!" Feliciano said. He had somehow gotten his things together even faster than Lovino did! He jumped into the car like an excited child and continued to chatter about useless things.

"Sure he can join us! The more the merrier," Antonio said, as he drove off from in front of the home.

"I didn't agree to that when I said I'd go," Lovino pouted.

"Don't worry, it'll be fun! I sent him a text just now and he says maybe. If we swing by his house, I can quickly convince him!" Feliciano chimed.

"God damn it…"

And so they did just that. After practically begging Ludwig on his front lawn to join them, Feliciano smiled when he finally agreed so that the neighbors would stop staring. He sighed and went into the house, returning outside in just a couple minutes to get into the car. Lovino pasted himself against the door so that he wouldn't have to touch or look at Ludwig while Antonio happily drove to wherever the hell he was taking them. So what if the guy was sitting on the opposite side with a grinning Feliciano in the middle, Lovino was clearly not in the mood to even be near him.

* * *

><p>"This is your idea of fun?" Lovino asked, when they arrived at their destination.<p>

They stood outside of the big waterpark that was located not far from the busy city. Lovino hadn't been their since he first entered high school so many years ago. It was a fun place but they were adults now, so why should they spend their day at a damn theme park with small children pissing in the water and rudely splashing at them? Well, that was a bit overdramatic but still!

"Yup! It's a cool environment, and it's not far at all! We can leisurely drive back home whenever we're ready without loathing a long distance," Antonio smiled, patting Lovino on the back.

"I love this place! Come on, Luddy, let's go buy our tickets to get in!" Feliciano practically dragged him to the booth.

"I didn't bring any fucking money, you never said where we were going," Lovino frowned scornfully towards the other two.

"Don't worry! I invited you, everything is my treat. I bought your ticket beforehand, and I'll buy your lunch if you wish." Antonio was especially kind, it made Lovino feel a little special inside.

"Yeah, you'd better," Lovino blushed and crossed his arms.

"Ah, Gilbert's here! And oh my, he's brought a _friend_," Francis said, waving towards the latecomer.

Lovino whirled around, obviously excited to finally see the one he had been waiting for. Sadly, that excitement turned into everlasting dread and misfortune when he saw who Gilbert was with.

"Hey guys! No need to worry, your awesome king is here. Liz decided she wanted to join us at the last minute, so I had to wait while she took forever to get ready," Gilbert said, gently nudging Elizaveta in her side.

"Well I would have been ready faster if I didn't have to search for my sunscreen in your pile of junk," she said, pouting her lips.

What the hell is she doing here? I thought this was another guy's trip, Lovino thought to himself. He never minded her hanging out with them before, but now was different for some reason. He'd known her since high school and felt that she was an alright person, he even welcomed her in their little group when she and Gilbert started dating a couple years before. However, he felt irritated beyond belief at this moment while listening to the couple chat. If she were someone like Ludwig, he wouldn't have hesitated even for a second to tell her to fuck off. But, he just couldn't. He had a terrible weakness for women, and couldn't find it in his heart to ever be cruel to one.

Lovino trudged behind as they all walked inside of the place once everyone had a ticket. It only now just occurred to him that their group was unbalanced. Feliciano stuck to Ludwig like glue, Francis happily chatted to Antonio about the sexy women and men inside of the place, and Gilbert was obviously going to stick with Elizaveta most of the time, whether he wanted to or not. That meant Lovino was the odd number.

"What am I even doing here?" he said to himself. He began to have doubts and figured he should just turn around and go home. He'd have to catch a bus or something, since he didn't drive there. Then everyone on the bus would stare at him and wonder why he was wearing stupid swim trunks and a shirt but wasn't even wet. But, who cares, leaving wasn't a bad idea since he was unwanted, anyway.

"Aren't you coming, Lovi?" Antonio asked, interrupting his thoughts. He pointed to the nearby pool which Ludwig and Feliciano had already gotten in. It seems Francis had went over to a couple of women who were sunbathing.

"Whatever." Lovino lazily walked over to where Feliciano had thrown his things on a lounging chair, and took his shirt off. He then walked over to the edge of the pool and sat there, only letting his legs get soaked in the cold water. It was uncomfortable at first, but it soon turned into bliss.

He watched as Feliciano swam around the shallow water and splashed at Ludwig, who pretended not to be enjoying it. Stupid couples, Lovino thought. They ruin everything for everyone else. What if someone were to come around and want to relax in the shallow end? They wouldn't be able to because his idiot brother was making such a commotion and wetting the whole damn place. The owners of the stupid park should make a small zone just for couples, so Lovino wouldn't have to watch anymore of this blasphemy.

He turned around and wondered where Gilbert had gone off to. He finally spotted him on one of the nearby lounging chairs near the pool. Lovino almost wished he hadn't spotted him at all, when he saw that Gilbert was busy rubbing sunscreen all over Elizaveta's legs and her back while she lied on her stomach. Lovino could see that Gilbert was saying something to her, as his mouth was moving. At least he didn't look like he was especially enjoying it, since his tongue wasn't hanging out and his eyes weren't boggled like a horny dog. But, of course, he didn't look like he was hating it, either.

"Idiot, you're so whipped and you don't even know it." Lovino shook his head and chuckled to himself, thinking of Gilbert as a servant boy. He turned back around and stared into the glistening water. He suddenly felt as if he was drowning ever so slowly. Of course, his lungs were working and he felt the oxygen flowing inside of his body, but his heart felt like it was filled with tainted water. Right about now, he hated life and everything about it.

"What's wrong, Lovi? Afraid to get a little wet?" Francis said. When had he appeared? Lovino didn't know, nor did he care.

"Yeah, Lovi. You should join us! The water feels great," Antonio said, floating on his back.

"Don't feel like it, now get the fuck out of my face," Lovino said. But, there wasn't any of that usual anger in his tone, just depression.

"Don't be a sour puss," Francis smirked, and splashed some of the water in Lovino's face.

"Bastard! I said I didn't feel like it!" he yelled, trying to resist the urge to grab the Frenchie and hold him under the water until the bubbles stopped coming up.

"We just want you to have fun. I don't like seeing you sad, especially since we're all supposed to be enjoying ourselves. But, if one person isn't, then how is everyone else supposed to?" Antonio said, leaning against the side of the pool next to Lovino's dangling legs.

Lovino thought about saying that they all seemed to be having one hell of a time without him, but he didn't want to be a total asshole and ruin the little trip, especially since Antonio looked worried for him. That guy had been so excited to take him there, so why should Lovino ruin it for him? Even now, Antonio was cheerfully smiling up at him, and he just couldn't betray that happiness.

"I'm fine, I just… need to get used to the water. It's cold as hell, and if I get in all at once I'll shiver to death," Lovino said, making up the first thing he could think of.

"Oh, that's understandable. How about you go down the blue waterslide with us?" Francis suggested, pointing to the smallest of the slides there.

"Actually, I'm just going to lie down for awhile, I don't feel well. You two should go, I might catch up soon."

"Well, alright. I hope you feel better! We'll be here for hours so take your time," Antonio smiled and headed towards the waterslide that was practically on the other side of the park with Francis.

* * *

><p>Lovino sighed with relief that his excuse had actually worked. He stood up from the edge of the pool and walked over to a nearby lounge chair, then lied on his stomach. The sun on his skin felt better than the water, so he closed his eyes and went into another deep thought for a couple minutes. His eyes shot open when a shadow appeared over his body.<p>

"What are ya doing out here? The water is over there."

Lovino looked up at this rude intruder and almost jumped from the chair when he saw it was Gilbert. He would've recognized the voice but he must have been really out of it. At first he felt a small flutter in his stomach, and then it was overcome with anger.

"What do you want, bastard? I'm trying to tan, and you're blocking the sun so move."

"What bit you in the ass? I'm just wondering why you're - Wait a minute, you're already tan!" Gilbert laughed obnoxiously, then unexpectedly pulled Lovino up from the chair.

"Let go of me, damn it!"

"Hey! You guys should join us, the water feels so nice!" Feliciano called out from the side of the pool.

"We will, I just had to grab Mr. Grouchy here," Gilbert said.

"Fine! If you want me to get in so badly, I will!" Lovino snatched his hand away from Gilbert's weak grasp and walked over to the unused pile of floaties. He picked up one of the long ones used to lie on, and dumped it into the pool. Making sure he wouldn't touch the water, Lovino carefully climbed onto it and relaxed as it floated on top of the cool water.

"That's not exactly getting into the water…" Ludwig said.

"Do I look like I give a shit? Now go back to your little splashing, kids," Lovino snorted, then rested his hands behind his head.

"Hey guys! Look! I'm going to jump off of the high board!" Feliciano exclaimed. He climbed out of the pool and made his way up the ladder.

"Do it! Do it!" Gilbert cheered, edging him on.

"Don't encourage him! I don't think that's a good idea, Feli. You're clumsy and you just may get hurt," Ludwig said. Feliciano seemed to have ignored every word of it.

"Look, brother!"

"Yeah, yeah. That's cool," Lovino said, but he didn't even once look up.

Feliciano yelled excitedly and jumped off of the high board. Gilbert watched intently with a mischievous grin on his face and Ludwig closed his eyes. They heard a loud splat, as Feliciano landed flat on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Ludwig hurriedly carried him out of the water to see if he was alright, but he was too much in a daze to answer back.

"I'll take him to the infirmary," Ludwig sighed, then walked off with the idiot in his arms.

"Man, that was pretty awesome! But, I would have perfected the landing," Gilbert said, swimming over to Lovino's floaty.

Lovino stayed silent and continued to enjoy the bright sunlight on his skin.

"Geez, do you even care about your brother?" Gilbert asked.

"That's a stupid question. Besides, the dumb ass got what he deserved, doing something so idiotic," Lovino snorted.

Suddenly, Lovino found himself being flipped over and crashing into the cold water. The coldness instantly stung his warm, dry skin and he quickly lifted his back up to the surface, his teeth shivering. All the while, Gilbert was laughing obnoxiously, tearing at the eyes and holding his stomach.

"W-What the f-fuck was that for! J-Jerk!" Lovino stuttered, still shivering. Right now he wished Gilbert didn't know how to swim. That would have been an easy murder target to get out the rage he felt at that moment.

"And now you just got what you deserved!"

Lovino puffed his cheeks and angrily glared at Gilbert. But, even he had to admit that was pretty funny. And now, he actually felt as if he was having fun. A smile started to break the scowl on his face and he turned around the try and hide it. Damn him, for always managing to make me smile when I don't want to!

"Aw, don't be mad!" Gilbert said, smiling as he wrapped his arms around Lovino's waist.

"What the hell a-are you doing?" A deep blush filled Lovino's face when he felt Gilbert's bare chest against his back.

"What's it look like? I'm hugging you."

As much as he wanted this feeling to last, it just didn't seem exactly right. He hesitantly unraveled himself from Gilbert's clutches and moved at least a foot away from him.

"What a shame. You used to like my hugs," Gilbert pouted.

"I was 12 years old, dumb ass! And you were like, 13! I used to look up to you, that's all." Lovino's face somehow grew even more red when he realized he had just admitted to idolizing Gilbert when they were young teenagers. He always found the outgoing older kid to be so intriguing, and he was glad whenever Antonio brought him around, because that meant he'd be able to hang out with Gilbert, too.

"Yeah, but still! I shouldn't stop giving out my awesomeness just because I'm older."

Lovino couldn't help but laugh at that. "You sound so stupid," he said, splashing water in Gilbert's face.

They proceeded to have a playful water fight, and Lovino figured that maybe it was a good idea to have come there. It was much more fun than the last time they all hung out, and no one was getting drunk! That was definitely the plus side. Nothing could possibly ruin his mood right now.

"Gilbert! You should've gotten on that wicked waterslide that Francis made me go down with him on. Though, I was pretty sure we didn't have to hold onto each other like he said… oh well." Elizaveta appeared out of nowhere and interrupted their little splash-tastic fun.

"Oh, I plan to get on it! I just wanted to see what everyone else was up to first," Gilbert said, splashing her with the water.

"Hey, hey, cut it out!" she giggled. "Where's Feli and Ludwig?"

"The idiot got hurt and the bastard took him to get fixed," Lovino grumbled.

Well, there goes his fun. Now Gilbert will go back to giving all of his attention to the woman instead of him. And he could definitely see why. The way she filled out that bikini was unbelievable, and even Lovino couldn't help but stare. It looked as if she got the top a size too small, because he was sure her breasts weren't supposed to be _that _visible. Who knows, maybe she did it on purpose because she liked the way it looked. It was way too sexy to ignore and he could feel his trunks getting a little tighter. He quickly looked away to avoid any mishaps. Damn her for being so attractive, and damn her even more for being one of his weaknesses.

"I'm starved, and Antonio said we should get something to eat," she said.

"Hell yeah! I'm so damn hungry, what about you, Lovi?" Gilbert asked, turning back to face Lovino.

Lovino couldn't lie, his stomach was growling and it was obviously lunch time. But, once they'd eat, then they would have to wait a while before swimming again! And he had only just began to have fun with Gilbert.

"Well, of course I'm starving…"

"Let's go, then!" Gilbert quickly followed Elizaveta out of the pool and began to walk towards the eating area. Lovino could already smell the delicious food being cooked in the back and didn't care what it was, he was going to order just about everything on the menu. But, then he remembered Antonio was paying for his meal, so maybe he should consider ordering something simple. Oh what the hell, Antonio's got lots of money, surely he could pay for it!

* * *

><p>As they neared the area, Lovino looked up at the biggest waterslide of the entire waterpark. It looked dangerously scary, but he felt like he needed to try it at least once. Out of the dozens of times they came there as kids and teens, not once had he successfully went down it without chickening out. He was an adult now, so this would be a good chance. Still, he needed company.<p>

"Hey, Gilbert?" he said, grabbing Gilbert by the arm.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go down that one," Lovino shyly suggested, pointing up at the slide.

"Can't we do it after we eat? I feel like my stomach is going to eat itself!"

"But, then we'd have to wait like, 45 minutes to an hour or something! I want to do it now before… before I change my mind," Lovino said. There was no way he'd let Gilbert find out he was scared to do it.

"That stupid rule is fake… but, whatever. I haven't went down any slides, either. Lizzy, we'll be right back," Gilbert said, and grabbed Lovino by the hand as he began running to the entrance of the devilish slide.

Going down that slide was easier said than done. When they finally reached the top, Lovino felt like he was on top of the world. He didn't dare look down to see how high they were. It's a good thing nothing was in his stomach or he would have puked, no doubt about it. Finally, it was their turn. Lovino looked down the slide and couldn't figure out if it was too late to go back.

"Well? Sit down already," Gilbert said, when Lovino wouldn't move.

Lovino took one big gulp and sat down on the big circle floaty, Gilbert sat behind him.

"Maybe you should sit in the front," Lovino said at the last second.

"But, the shorter person always has to sit in the front."

"I'm only shorter by a few inches! Let's fucking switch!" Lovino began to yell hysterically and tried to stand up but he couldn't, it was far too slippery; and the nice man in charge of that slide was patiently waiting for them to say that they were ready.

"Are you seriously that scared, Lovino?" Gilbert asked. When he didn't get a response, he knew the answer.

"Well, don't be! Nothing bad will happen. See, I'll even hold onto you," he suggested, and snuggly wrapped his arms around Lovino's waist. "Do you feel safer now?"

Lovino blushed and slightly nodded. "Whatever… let's just get it over with."

He tightly shut his eyes as they flew down the slide. The only thing he took notice of was Gilbert's excited yelling from behind. Before he knew it, it was over and they were floating in the small pool of water below.

"That was awesome! Right? Right?" Gilbert laughed, as he helped Lovino stand up.

"Again… let's go again!" Lovino was surprisingly excited for some reason. Amazed by this sudden change of heart, Gilbert agreed.

"Yeah, let's!"

After going down the slide three more times, they succumbed to their hunger and returned to the table, laughing together. It seems Feliciano was alright again, since he and Ludwig were happily eating their lunch along with Antonio, Francis, and Elizaveta.

"Finally you guys show up. I was beginning to think you drowned," Francis said.

"Ah, sorry. We were having awesome fun on waterslides, you wouldn't understand," Gilbert chuckled, then sat down next to his girlfriend.

"I ordered your favorite, since you weren't here. You do still like this, right?" Elizaveta asked, handing Gilbert a big, delicious and spicy sausage on a bun with a glass of beer on the side.

"Yup, thanks!" he said, immediately chowing down on the food.

That's not right. When Gilbert ate sausages by themselves, he didn't use any condiments. But, when it was on a bun, he used either mustard, ketchup, or any type of sauce. The one she handed him didn't have sauce on it, which meant he was only pretending to enjoy it to the fullest. Lovino thought about this fact to himself as he stood in line to order his own food with the money Antonio gave to him. He probably didn't want to upset her for getting it wrong, or maybe he was just too starving to care. Either way, Lovino couldn't help but think about it since he knew everything that Gilbert liked. On the way back after he got his food, he brought a small bottle of mustard to the table and sat it in the middle. Gilbert stared at it for a few seconds before grabbing it and applying the yellow paste to the remainder of his food. He gave Lovino a wink as if he knew what he had been thinking.

"I somehow only managed to seduce two women so far today," Francis sighed, as lazily drank his ice tea. Something must have been wrong with the people here, if they didn't accept his love.

"Maybe it was your speedos that turned them off?" Gilbert said. Everyone began to laugh as Francis frowned.

"I don't know, the people he tried talking to were way out of his league," Antonio said.

"Oh? And what do you know about league, Mr. I'm Too Innocent And Oblivious To Know Anything About 'Game'?" Francis teased.

"He doesn't have to know anything. One thing for sure is that you should try actually getting to know people instead of throwing crappy pick-up lines and jumping straight to topics about sex," Elizaveta suggested. And she was completely right.

"A formal greeting is most important. I have not read many books about successful relationships but it is surely important that you stay formal," Ludwig said. His advice was pretty much ignored.

"And maybe it'd help if you weren't such a perverted bastard," Lovino added.

"Also, you kind of touch people too much. I mean, I touch people, too, but not in uncomfortable places!" Feliciano said.

"Geez, what is this? The national day to bash Francis? I thought we were all lovely friends!" Francis pouted and completely stopped listening to their advice.

"Look, Francis. It's easy, you've got it in you so just go after what you like. Like that chick," Gilbert said, gesturing to a woman that walked by. "You said you like people with a nice ass, right? Well, there ya go."

"You were looking at her ass?" Elizaveta asked. Everyone could've sworn they heard the devil in her voice.

"I-I wasn't! I was just pointing her out to Francis, right?" he tried to cover up his idiotic mistake but Francis only looked away and continued to sip his tea. And sweet revenge that was.

Everyone watched, amused as Elizaveta proceeded to chew Gilbert out. He was helpless, it was almost pitiful. After they finished their meals, Ludwig made sure they all waited the exact time before they would be able to swim again. Lovino had to force Gilbert to get on more of the cool slides with him because he was still slumped at being yelled at. After a while, he finally perked up and they were glad to have fun until sunset. After they all said their goodbyes, Lovino was already starting to miss Gilbert's company.

* * *

><p>A couple days went by, and Lovino still wanted to feel like a kid again. Their time at the waterpark was unbelievably fun and childish, he couldn't wait to do it again. But, it was back to being bored and doing random things to pass the time. He thought he heard the doorbell ring, but whatever; Feliciano was inside of the house so he could answer it.<p>

"Oh, hey Gilbert!" Feliciano said, when he opened the door.

"Hey, Feli," Gilbert smiled brightly and rubbed Feliciano on the head like a kid. "Where's the grouchy bear?"

"He's outside, in the back," he pointed towards the entrance to the backyard.

Gilbert shrugged and walked through the house until he came to their backyard. The grass was so green it was almost unreal, and their garden was perfect. The Italian's home wasn't super fancy like the one that Francis lived in, and it wasn't big and surrounded by wasteland like Antonio's, but it was homey. It made anyone feel welcome and even now as he stood in the backyard, Gilbert still felt cozy. As he looked around, though, Lovino was no where in sight. He looked up at the big treehouse and concluded he must have been in there.

"Lovi, you up there?" he called out.

"No, and please don't leave a message after the tone."

"Funny. I'll just have to visit you in person, then." Gilbert quickly climbed up the old rope ladder that led up to the entrance. Lovino didn't stop him from coming inside, so he lifted himself up and climbed in.

"What did you want? I'm busy," Lovino said, not even looking towards Gilbert.

"Oh really? What could you possibly be busy doing?"

"Reading."

"So you're reading a bag of chips and an empty bottle of fruit juice?"

Lovino looked down at the bag of chips he was enjoying and the empty bottle. Okay, so he wasn't reading but he was deep in thought! That counts, sort of. Either way, he didn't feel like being bothered at the moment.

"Well maybe I am! It's rude to disturb people," he blushed, and went back to eating the chips.

"I guess I'll just read some chips then, too." Gilbert smirked and comfortably took a seat next to Lovino. He helped himself to some of the chips without Lovino's objection and they sat in silence for a while.

Looking around the little treehouse, Gilbert was surprised to see it hadn't changed at all. He remembered when they first built it in middle school. The four of them set their minds to it and were unstoppable once they had started. It took all summer but the rewards were very satisfying. They even only had five injuries in the process of building it, that was a good thing considering all of the close calls they had.

"Why is it so clean?" Gilbert asked suddenly.

"I always put a big tarp over it when it's about to rain, and I fixed the windows so that nothing gets in. I also sprayed it with strong repellent so none of the insects or animals come screwing with it. I just have to respray every six months" Lovino answered.

Gilbert gasped and nodded in approval. "Wow, you take such good care of it even though we don't even use it anymore."

"That's not true, I use it! See, I'm in here right now. I sometimes come up here when I need peace and quiet. But, you ruined that for me today," he growled.

"As if. If anything, I made it better! Now you're not alone and we can reminisce about the old times we had in here."

Gilbert looked around again at all of the posters and funny pictures they drew when they were younger, which still hung proudly on the wall as if they were drawn yesterday. Even the old beanbag chairs were perfectly clean and still had the little marks from when they tried to draw each other's faces on them. He smiled when he saw the little voodoo doll they had once tried to make, and the dynamite they wanted to construct, which obviously never even made it past step one.

"Haha, remember that time we-"

"Yeah, yeah I know. I remember that time, even if I don't want to," Lovino answered, cutting him off.

"How do you even know what I was going to say?"

"You were going to remind me of the time neither of us had dates to that stupid dance at the end of middle school. So then we ended up staying here in the treehouse and ranting about all of the bastards we hated at school. And… then we had our own little dance, just the two of us."

"Wow, you know me too well," Gilbert chuckled. "And, I had a date! I was just too awesome to ask them out so they went with someone else."

"Sure you did. And, I'm still mad at you!" Lovino said, his face turning red with embarrassment.

"For what?"

"For… stealing my first kiss that night, bastard! It was clearly reserved for someone else," he said, trying to hide his face.

"It's not my fault! Well, it is but, still. I thought it was only logical to kiss someone at a dance. Even if that dance was in your friend's backyard. But, you should feel lucky to have had me as your first kiss. I was also Liz's first kiss, though she won't admit it," Gilbert smirked and felt accomplished as he leaned his head on Lovino's shoulder.

"You don't just fucking kiss random people for enjoyment… who was your first kiss?"

"Francis. That bastard caught me off guard."

"Ewww, your lips are forever tainted!" Lovino teased and shook his head in disgust.

"Hey don't rub it in! You know how he is. Besides, if my awesome lips are tainted then that means I spread it to you, too."

"Damn you, sneaky bastard. If there's ever a zombie apocalypse, it's all your fault. I don't even want to imagine how many people that perv has tainted with his lips," Lovino shuddered at the mere thought.

"Well then, don't think on it. Instead, let's get out of here. Antonio is trying to gather us for another group outing and this time it's just a simple movie at the theater. I'm glad though, because that's how I like to hang with you guys: casually, plain and simple." Gilbert stood up carefully so he wouldn't hit his head on the ceiling and exited the old treehouse with Lovino following close behind.

Lovino smiled to himself, feeling a little better after chatting with Gilbert. Even though things were different from before, friends never change.

"I'll go, as long as you guys don't treat it like old times and throw popcorn at the fucking screen."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I imagine Lovino being the owner of their city's most famous pizza parlor. It's a family business and whatnot. He's also a stock broker, I don't know why I just thought that was interesting... Feliciano will be a worldclass painter! **


	6. Compatible

**A/N: A quick thank you to everyone still reading this story, and to those that've reviewed and whatnot. **

**So thank you, and please enjoy. :) **

* * *

><p>Elizaveta yawned as she slowly walked down the stairs. It was still very early, but she usually awoken about that time everyday for no reason at all. Unlike Gilbert, she always went to bed at a steady time so that she wouldn't upset her schedule. As she walked into the kitchen, she wasn't surprised to see a couple empty beer bottles lying on the table. No matter how many times she had told him, Gilbert never listened when she said not to leave bottles on the table, empty or not. She sighed impatiently and tossed them in the recycle bag, it'd be best to deal with it instead of getting angry first thing in the morning.<p>

Her stomach began to growl, so she opened the refrigerator to see what she'd make for breakfast. She grabbed a loaf of bread, butter, tater tots, some breakfast sausages, and - Wait, where the hell are the eggs? She definitely couldn't have breakfast without eggs. After thinking for a second, she remembered that she had told Gilbert to go and buy eggs the day before! What the fuck is wrong with him, forgetting to buy the most important ingredient to her delicious breakfast? No, better not get angry just yet. Being angry in the morning meant the rest of the day would be garbage.

Once again, an impatient sigh escaped her lips as she threw some of the ingredients to her imperfect breakfast into different skillets to cook. She steadily planned out her day and what she would wear. Maybe something preppy would be good. Then she'd change into something more casual when night fell. Of course, she really needed to wash her hair and perhaps she'd curl it afterwards. She hadn't worn curls in awhile, and Roderich once said that they suited her. Who knows, maybe they actually did suit her, so she figured she would try it again sometime.

When she had finished making her incomplete breakfast of slight disappointment, she placed it on the table and sat down to devour it. She wasn't the best cook, but she considered herself to be above average. She was much, much better than that British jerk, Arthur. The last time she ate his food, well, let's just say she would have rather had food poisoning. The breakfast was still satisfying, even though her precious scrambled eggs didn't make it to the party on her plate.

A loud yawn and the lazy dragging of feet interrupted her meal. Gilbert resurfaced from the dark basement in which he obviously fell asleep in. That messy room might as well had been his new bedroom, since he slept there almost every night, and he spent more than half of his time in there. He said it was to concentrate, but what could he possibly concentrate on besides dueling people on that silly game of his? Well, gaming was actually his job since he developed them, but it seemed like he spent more time playing than creating.

It was obviously the smell of food that had awoken him, since he usually didn't wake up until almost noon. After drowsily waving good morning to Elizaveta, he slowly walked into the kitchen while scratching his belly. Gilbert looked around for awhile with his tired eyes before returning into the dining room. He watched for a few seconds as Elizaveta continued to eat her breakfast, then he frowned.

"I want some of that stuff, too," he said.

"I only made some for myself, there's more in the fridge."

"Aw, what? You didn't at least make a little for me?" Gilbert pouted and slouched down into the chair across from her.

"I don't have to. You have two arms and two hands, you can make your own breakfast when you're hungry." She rolled her eyes and went back to enjoying the leftover bits on her plate.

"But, you usually make enough for the two of us."

"That was before I realized we had no eggs, which you were supposed to get yesterday." Her voice began to sound more and more ticked off with each word that left her mouth.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. You told me to go buy eggs, then you said never mind because you'd do it yourself, in case I would forget to actually get them once I entered the store."

Eliaveta thought for a second, and then felt like slapping herself in the face. The only part she had remembered was telling him to get the eggs, but she forgot when she had changed her mind. She was going to get them herself, but she had received a very important phone call and decided to tend to that matter first. When she was done, she'd completely forgotten about her visit to the grocery store. And this whole time she had been blaming Gilbert for screwing with her perfect breakfast. Oh well, her mistake.

"Did you forget? How careless of you, Ms. Perfection," Gilbert teased, waiting for that embarrassed expression on her face.

"Shut up, it was a simple mistake. Hold on, I'll make you something right now."

"Nah, you don't have to. I wouldn't want you poisoning it in your anger," Gilbert snickered.

"Suit yourself." Elizaveta frowned and sat back down. "By the way, you left bottles out again."

Gilbert looked around for the empty beer bottles and shrugged. "I did?"

"I threw them in the bag already. Seriously, how many times have I told you not to do that?"

Gilbert sarcastically put a hand to his chin and pretended to be in deep thought.

"Hm… once or twice? Maybe over 9000 times?" he said.

Elizaveta seriously wanted to slap the shit out of him. But, she had told herself long ago that her violent days were over. She was a sophisticated and mature woman now, and violence didn't solve anything. If she felt like it, she could easily kick his ass right now, like she had so many times when they were children. But, she had been tolerating his sarcasm and careless behavior for years now, so it didn't make a difference.

"So if you know, then you shouldn't do it, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just forgot is all." Gilbert yawned again and stood up, walking back into the kitchen.

She irritably watched as Gilbert went into the refrigerator and pulled out random items. He mixed them all together into some sort of gross sandwich and ate it like a starving beast. It was pretty sick, and he was beginning to make a mess on the floor. She always told him to at least use a plate if he was going to stand up and eat in the kitchen, but that was one of the things that went through his ear and out the other.

When he was finished with everything, Gilbert quickly wiped up the mess he had made and retreated into the living room. He hopped onto the couch and began to browse through the morning channels. Morning shows always sucked, and the only thing people watched in the morning were the local news channels. As if he wanted to hear about someone getting murdered, raped, kidnapped or a loose criminal that could possibly in his neighborhood. After that, the stupid and completely unattractive news anchors would talk about something really random like why you shouldn't eat too much of a certain kind of food, or about some little girl that found her lost dog in a gutter. Gilbert could have sworn that the news channel was bipolar.

After flipping through the channels and failing to find anything interesting, he settled for a random show that was showing clowns eating something very gross and indescribable. It was still pretty early in the morning, much earlier than his usual awakening time, so he decided to rest his eyes for awhile. He let his heavy eyelids drop, and he was about to fall into another deep sleep when his name was suddenly called.

"Gilbert, what do you plan to do today?" Elizaveta asked, walking into the living room.

Gilbert groaned from being awaken from his very light nap. It was getting good, and now he was uncomfortable again. Why did she have to wake him up every time he was about to get his beauty sleep? Not that he needed it, because he looked awesome no matter how much sleep he got. Still, he had been awake until almost five o'clock that morning, which meant he'd only gotten a little more than three hours of rest.

"I don't know… is there something I'm supposed to do?" he asked, expecting her to remind him of something else he had forgotten. It's not his fault she always wanted to do boring things! If they were awesome, he might have remembered.

"No, I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the town square. Supposedly, a lot of fun things will be hosted there the next few days."

That sounded like a lot of fun! No, not really. He'd rather stay home and do something awesome, not walk around some stupid square with loads of people. The last time they went, it was dreadfully boring because no one was getting hurt or anything like that. It was like going to the fair without the rides or games. You could eat delicious food, buy cool things, and sometimes there was some unknown band playing there, but that was all. It was pretty much a place for shopping, which anyone could just do at the mall. But, he decided maybe he should go, because his awesome presence would spice things up a bit.

"Well, maybe-" Ah, but then he remembered something very important!

"Actually, I was planning to hang out with Lovi today. He's got nothing to do, so we were going to hang around town."

"You'd rather mess around town instead of going to the square with me?" Elizaveta said, though she actually didn't care what he did.

"I didn't say that, nor was I implying it." Gilbert quickly answered to avoid any arguments this morning.

"You should ask him if he wants to come, too. Tell me what he says when I get back, I'm going to shower and get ready." Elizaveta exited the living room and returned back up the stairs and to the bedroom.

That was actually a good idea. He could invite Lovino and then things would definitely not end up boring. But, wait a second, he didn't even agree to go yet! Damn her for tricking him into this shit again. He couldn't refuse now, because then she'd probably have a fit. Gilbert groaned and rolled on the couch like a child having a mini tantrum. He hoped like hell that Lovino would agree, or else he'd be stuck.

* * *

><p>Lovino sat at his table drinking coffee, and feeling very depressed. Stupid Feliciano for leaving him behind. And stupid college for having stupid retreats and doing stupid things. Sometimes he wished that he went to his brother's university, then he would be able to do fun things and go to cool places, too. But no, he was sitting at home on a beautiful Sunday morning, alone. It wasn't Feliciano's fault, but he figured it was so that he'd have an excuse for being such a loner. It made him feel a little better knowing that Feliciano would be just as bored as he was now, once his brother graduated.<p>

"Maybe I'll get one of those bastards to entertain me."

Lovino got up from his chair and retrieved the phone. He dialed the first number he could think of and waited for an answer. It rang many times before going to the voicemail. That damn Antonio must've still been at the field, tending to his tomatoes. It was still early in the morning so that should've been expected. Whatever, he could just call a different number, then.

"Hello?" Francis answered, he sounded exhausted.

"Finally you answered the damn phone, bastard."

"Well, good morning to you, too. How may I be of service?"

"I don't want any service you offer. I was just wondering what you were doing."

Francis didn't say anything for a short moment after that, so Lovino began to assume he had hung up.

"Really?" he finally said.

"Yes really, why do you ask?"

"Well, you never call me just to see what I'm doing. What's with the sudden change of interest?" Francis asked.

There was no way Lovino would tell him that he was lonely and bored to death, that'd make him sound so pitiful.

"So what! Maybe I just felt like doing something different for once. If you don't want to chat then hang up, stupid ass." Lovino didn't mean to say all of that in the way that he did, it just sort of slipped out. Deep inside, he sort of wished that Francis wouldn't hang up, leaving him alone again.

"I never said I didn't want to chat. But, since you're practically begging, I suppose we can chat for a bit, my love."

Lovino could tell that Francis was probably grinning like a perverted idiot right about now. He wanted to scream into the phone to make the bastard go deaf, but he was interrupted before he could even reply.

"Francis, come back to bed already," a faint voice in the background said. Lovino could tell it belonged to a woman, probably even a sexy woman.

"Sit tight, my delicate, naughty little angel. I'll be there in a sec," Francis answered away from the phone, but Lovino could hear all of it anyway. "My apologies, Lovi. I have more business to take care of."

Before he could even answer, Francis hung up. Damn that bastard for getting laid, and damn him for waking up next to some sexy sounding woman on a beautiful Sunday morning while Lovino was alone! He was so jealous right now, he almost slammed the phone down onto the floor. Suddenly, it rang. He didn't check the ID before answering it, though.

"Yeah, what is it?" he answered. Usually he was more formal when answering the phone, but right now he was pissed.

"Thank goodness, Lovi. I was hoping that you were awake! I see my awesome intuition worked."

Lovino's heart fluttered and a smile automatically sneaked onto his face. "Gilbert!" he quickly answered. His face flushed from embarrassment when he realized that his voice sounded too excited. It was as if he was a child who had been waiting a long while for a call from Santa.

"Hey," Gilbert chuckled at Lovino's tone of voice. However, he was actually happy to speak with him, too.

"So, uh… what did you want?"

"Right. You know how we were supposed to go out sometime today?"

"Yeah, I do. What, do you not want to go out with me anymore? I mean, I don't care if you do or not! I've got better things to do, anyway." Lovino tried not to sound as disappointed as he felt. He was so afraid of Gilbert canceling their little outing that he held his breath while he waited for an answer.

"No, no! I do want to go out with you today. I've just got myself stuck in a stupid situation, and I was wondering if you wanted to go to the town square with Liz and I."

Well, that wasn't as disappointing as he expected it to be. He didn't want to be a third wheel and be forced to watch the stupid couple make out and crap like that. He also didn't want to feel awkward, jealous, or hurt since he'd be with the person he really liked and that person's girlfriend. Lovino decided to just take a chance, instead of sitting alone at home for the rest of the day while thinking about all of the fun that Gilbert and Elizaveta would be having together.

"What are we going to do there? I'm not going to some shitty place where we just look at things and walk around." Lovino said.

"You know, we do the… usual?" Gilbert had no idea how to answer that one. What Lovino had described is exactly what everyone did when they went to that time wasting place.

"I'll only go because I have nothing better to do. This had better be fun."

"Great, we'll meet you at the entrance around noon. Bye!"

"Wait! What should I wear?" Lovino quickly asked.

"Um… whatever you want? Just something comfortable, I guess. You look damn good no matter what you wear," Gilbert teased, he wished he could have seen Lovino's embarrassed face at that moment.

"B-Bastard! Saying such things… I'll be there at noon, so you better not be late or I'll kick your ass!" Lovino quickly slammed the phone back onto the charger and stood there for a few seconds, his heart racing faster than he realized.

"I'll just dress as casually as possible." Lovino darted up the stairs and got ready for his 'date'.

* * *

><p>After yelling at Gilbert to get dressed because he was taking too long, Elizaveta was glad when they were finally able to hop into the car and safely drive to the town square. There weren't too many people there, but she didn't mind large crowds anyway. She could already smell the delicious food being cooked, and couldn't decide if she should go for barbeque or something like a shrimp rice bowl. To hell with it, maybe she'd try everything! She was very fit already and liked to exercise, so she didn't really need to watch her figure.<p>

"Looks like we arrived at the same time, so I don't have to kick your ass," Lovino said, as he approached them.

"Daaaamn, Lovi! What are you, a movie star?" Gilbert gazed at the stylish outfit that Lovino was wearing. It was still casual, but it looked like an outfit out of a movie or something that a popstar would wear on a music video.

"Rockin' those shades, Lovi!" Elizaveta giggled.

"Thanks, I guess." Lovino blushed and followed behind as they entered the large area.

Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as Gilbert thought it would be. Elizaveta watched as he excitedly pointed at odd things and joked about pretty much everything they passed by. Lovino seemed to be having a good time, too, although she could tell he was trying hard not to show it. He was seriously just too cute! She wished she could have had him as a younger brother.

"I have to buy this!" Gilbert exclaimed. He picked up a very shiny king's crown from one of the shopping stalls they were looking at, and placed it on his head.

"Put that back, it's useless," Elizaveta said, frowning when Gilbert actually began asking the salesperson about it.

"If you're going to waste money on stupid shit, then at least make sure it's stupid shit that matters," Lovino said. That didn't really make sense, but Elizaveta nodded in agreement.

"Why don't you two stop being old sticks in the mud? Here, I've got something that suits both of you!"

Gilbert picked up another crown and placed it on Elizaveta's head. He then picked up a very pretty tiara and put it on Lovino's. After examining them, he gave a thumbs up and began to laugh at how ridiculous they looked.

"Idiot, you gave her the crown and me the tiara!" Lovino yelled, about to toss the tiara to the side, but he remembered if something happened to it that he'd have to buy it, so he gently placed it back where Gilbert had found it.

"But, you're more like a princess. She's more like a prince with a pretty face," Gilbert said, as he continued to laugh.

"Well haha. I don't find that funny at all." Elizaveta set the crown back down. For some reason, she actually sort of took that as a compliment. She'd always wanted to be a brave prince when she was a very young child, until she found out the differences physical between males and females. It came a little as a shock when she learned that she was indeed a female.

"You two never get my jokes. Ah well, let's get something to eat!"

Gilbert led the way by his nose, going to the best smelling food stand he could find. Each of them found something they liked, so they decided to eat there.

"Order for me? I need to find the bathroom," Gilbert said, and walked off.

"Well, alright…" Elizaveta looked up at the menu but didn't really know what Gilbert wanted since he hadn't said anything about it. She picked out something with sausages and a side of fries and figured he'd like it, or he'd eat grass, his choice.

"Wait, Gilbert doesn't like onions. He'll eat them, but he really doesn't prefer them," Lovino said.

"Ah, right. No onions," Elizaveta told the cashier. She hadn't really thought of that, since Gilbert never complained when she made the food or brought some home. Maybe he was being polite or he was afraid she'd smash his face in for being picky, who knows.

Their food was finished very quickly, so Lovino picked out an empty table to sit at. He was starved, so he quickly began to devour his food, not even noticing that Elizaveta was staring at him the entire time.

"You two are really close, huh?" she suddenly asked.

Lovino almost spit out the drink he had in his mouth. "Uh, what do you mean?"

"I mean, I know you've been friends with Antonio and Francis for a long time, but also Gilbert. It's just, I imagined since you have low tolerance for foolishness, that you would've gone insane by now from Gilbert and his ways," she chuckled. "Even I can hardly handle him sometimes. Well, most of the time, actually. I wonder how you do it." She sighed and took a long sip from her tea.

Lovino wondered what that reason was, too. Maybe it was because he had been friends with Gilbert for such a long time, that he'd become completely used to his shenanigans. It also might have been because he had such strong feelings for Gilbert, and so he put up with every crazy thing that guy did. But, he couldn't tell her that, definitely not.

"Well, you've known him longer than I have," he said.

"Yeah, but we only became friends in high school. Before that, he was just an annoying childhood rival of mine," she laughed, and remembered all of the fun times she beat Gilbert up. She really missed those days, when Gilbert would follow her around and tease her, doing whatever he could to provoke her. Now, it seemed like he had gotten completely bored with that method of getting her attention, and instead she was the one that tried to get him to listen to her.

"Even though Gilbert can be annoying sometimes and he always says weird things, I know he doesn't mean any harm by it. He's a real dumb ass, but then again, he just thinks in different ways than other people. And so, I try my best to understand him, because he's so fun to be around and he understands me, too," Lovino said.

He tried to think of something else to add onto how he saw Gilbert, but there were far too many ways to describe him and he was already blushing as he couldn't believe he had just said something so embarrassing. What Lovino had said began to make sense to Elizaveta, when she thought about it. She noticed that Lovino hardly seemed hostile whenever Gilbert was around, especially when he was giving Lovino a lot of attention. He still wore that adorable pout on his face, but every once in awhile he couldn't help but smile.

"Sir Awesome is back! Can you believe the fucking bathrooms were half way across the square?" Gilbert said, when he magically reappeared and sat down at the table.

"Here, eat up before it gets cold. And be thankful to Lovi, he told me you didn't like onions so there aren't any on there," Elizaveta said, handing the covered plate to Gilbert.

"I don't dislike them, I just… yeah, I fucking hate them. Thanks, Lovi!" Gilbert laughed obnoxiously and began to devour his tasty food.

"Sure, whatever." Lovino stared down at his nearly empty plate of food to hide his blushing face.

When they had finished eating, they chatted for a short while before joining the small crowd that had gathered nearby. Suddenly, a group of people appeared on the small stage and began to set up their instruments. It seemed they were going to give everyone a little performance, and Gilbert leaped with joy even though earlier that morning he'd cursed the amateur bands this place always hired. Another plus was that their music was actually pretty good. It wasn't as awesome and hardcore as the things Gilbert usually listened to, but it was catchy.

"Dance with me!" Gilbert said, tugging at Elizaveta's arm.

"No way, that's embarrassing! I don't even know how to dance to songs like these," she said, shaking her head.

"Aw, c'mon!" Gilbert pleaded, but she continued to refuse. So, he forcefully grabbed Lovino instead.

"Wait, I don't want to dance either, bastard!" Lovino cursed his luck as Gilbert pulled him closer to the stage.

Elizaveta watched, very amused at the show before her. The music was alright, not really her taste but it was hilarious watching Gilbert twirl Lovino around and force him to do weird moves. At least Lovino looked like he was having fun, despite how he kept cursing at Gilbert from dragging him into this. This moment was seriously just too cute! Too bad she didn't have her camera with her to capture it. The one on her phone would have to do, so she quickly grabbed it from her pocket and snapped many pictures. She had to admit, those two were just so good together.

* * *

><p>The next day, Gilbert went out for drinks at a reunion with a couple of his old college buddies. Elizaveta once again had nothing of importance to do that day, so she decided to visit Roderich. Talking to him always made her feel great beyond belief, so she put on one of her classy black dresses and this time curled her hair. Of course she wasn't going to look raggedy when visiting a mansion owned by someone of Roderich's status, even if he was her best friend.<p>

She double checked her make-up and hair when she pulled up to the front gates. She figured a little more lipstick and mascara would suffice. When she finished, she hopped out of the car and elegantly walked along the beautiful stone path and up to the front door. The kind butler she knew so well greeted her and led the way to Roderich's gorgeous sitting room. He smiled brightly when he glanced upon her.

"Lovely as usual, Eliza. I see you're wearing curls again, too." Roderich quickly arose from his seat and greeted her with kisses to the cheeks.

"Thank you. And well, you did say I looked great with curls," she blushed, resisting the urge to retrieve the mirror from her purse to make sure her hair was still perfect.

"Indeed, but you look dazzling with any hairstyle you choose. Shall we have tea?"

Elizaveta shyly nodded as he led her into the tea room. She was always amazed by everything in his vast mansion, and she hoped that one day she would also have separate rooms in her own mansion for the different things to do in each of them.

The tea that was served was always delicious. For some reason, he always served a different kind each visit she paid him, and each time it was twice as delicious. Even the little sweet snacks were amazing, she didn't really care for cookies but the ones the butler continued to bring them made her mouth water. She always had to try her best not to gobble them down so fast, so she wouldn't seem like a glutton.

"How are things? Did the big meeting go well?" Roderich asked, as they enjoyed their small snacks.

"Oh, yes, it went very well. Wait, how did you know about it?"

"You told me about it quite a while ago, and you were very nervous about it. I'm glad it went well," he smiled.

"Thank you… I just didn't expect you to remember about it." The fact that he actually remembered something that didn't even have anything to do with him made her feel very happy, but also another feeling that she couldn't explain.

"Well, why not?"

"No reason. Say, do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything you need."

"May I listen to you play the piano? I always enjoy hearing you play," she smiled brightly and hoped for a yes.

Roderich smiled and stood from his seat. He led her by the arm like a gentleman into the big piano room and sat on the stool, patting the spot next to him for her to sit down. She did as she was motioned to and excitedly watched as he placed his fingers along the perfectly clean keyboard.

"Which piece would you like me to play?" he asked.

"Anything, perhaps one of your favorites, it doesn't matter to me," she quickly answered. She just wanted to hear him play.

Roderich nodded and began playing a piece by Chopin. Elizaveta closed her eyes and closely listened to each note. Whenever he played the piano, she felt as if she was going into a trance, everything was so calm and peaceful. She adored his talents and pretty much everything about him. Listening to him even made her want to learn to play!

"What's wrong?" she asked, when he suddenly stopped playing.

"Perhaps we shall have just a bit more fun."

Once again, he arose from the seat and casually walked towards the small fancy table near the wall. He turned on the CD player which rested on top of the table, and pressed the buttons on it until it came to the song that he was just playing. It sounded exactly the same, since it was a recording of his own. He smiled and walked back over to Elizaveta, gently pulling her up from the seat. He whirled her around into his arms and they began to dance.

"I'm not so sure about this, I've forgotten how to dance!" she said, trying her hardest not to step on his feet.

"It's alright, you're doing magnificently."

They continued to dance and idly chat for a while. He continued to praise her, and she continued to blush. This was the most fun she'd had in weeks, probably even months. Well, the trip to the waterpark a couple weeks before was very fun, but now she was in complete bliss. All they were doing was dancing, but it felt like much more. Perhaps, maybe a little too much. She felt weak in the knees when she looked into his eyes, so she eventually had to pull herself away.

"Are you tired?" he asked, when Elizaveta suddenly stopped dancing and took a step back.

"Actually, yes. I also have something to do at home, so if you'll excuse me… thank you for the wonderful time," she quickly smiled and exited the room as fast as she could without seeming suspicious.

When she got into the car, she had to repeatedly inhale and exhale to stop her chest from exploding. It felt like many strange things were going on in her body, and she wasn't sure if she liked them or not. Either way, she had to stop this absurd feeling so she quickly drove from the lot. Once she was back in her own environment, maybe she would be able to think straight again.


	7. Confessions

Gilbert ducked around a corner just before the shots began to rain down upon his area. These bastards sure were fierce today, and most of them were above his rank. Too bad for them, because even if he's a lower rank, he's still the most awesome soldier out there. They don't believe it, so he'll just have to prove it to them. He quickly dashed from his hiding spot and ran into a nearby building. But, holy shit! Just as he ran inside, a couple of the enemies almost bumped into him. Good thing he knows exactly how to react.

"Die, bitches!" Gilbert shouted, and unloaded his gun on the helpless souls.

Suddenly, a smoke grenade clouded his sight. Fuck, I need to get out of here, he thought, quickly scurrying around the room. Before he had time to escape, the dreadful sting of a knife pierced him in the chest. He immediately reacted by randomly firing around the area, killing the perpetrator. Good thing he didn't get stabbed twice, he would've been dead and the fate of the world would have been decided. His fellow soldiers needed him, so he ran as quickly as he could to their location.

Gilbert could see them straight ahead! So now all he needed to do was sprint, continue sprinting and he'd be by their sides in the name of combat. He was almost there when a stealthy enemy caught sight of him, and fired. His stupid health was still halfway down, so that ended him right then and there. Such a shame, too, because he had survived for so long and the battle was almost over! His killing spree had also taken its toll.

"What? No, that's bullshit!" he yelled, slamming the controller down.

"Gilbert, will you please stop yelling at the TV?" Elizaveta said, when she walked into the living room.

Gilbert rolled his eyes and backed out of the game. Well there goes his chance of getting the trophy for being undefeated an entire match. And yet, he was just so close! Those bastards could suck his wurst, for all he cared. That game was stupid anyways, and its community was filled with cheaters and noobs.

"You've been playing that all night again, huh?" she asked.

The immediate silence that followed after gave her the answer. It should've been expected, since he usually did that. But, today was different. He should have known better to go to bed earlier than usual, so that they can spend the day together. Well, the afternoon and evening since she had work. If he had forgotten what day it was, she didn't know whether to strangle him or simply walk out.

"You don't understand my tactics. It's vital that I get this stupid trophy," Gilbert answered, and began searching for another match.

"Whatever. So, where are you taking me tonight?"

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Tonight was the premiere of that awesome new comedy! There was no way he was going to miss it. After all, he had been waiting for it to come out for weeks. There was no reason to go out anywhere, so why did she want to?

"We are going out, right?" she continued to pester him.

"Why? There's something I wanted to see tonight. Wherever it is you wanted to go to, I can always take you tomorrow night."

"Oh, nothing. I just thought it was appropriate to go out on our damn two year anniversary."

She snapped. And Gilbert had expected his neck to snap, too. But, she didn't move from wherever she was, he really didn't know because his face was glued to the TV. This was probably the worst time to screw up. He seriously had no idea it was their anniversary, who keeps track of stuff like that? Okay so everyone does, but still! He didn't mean to forget, it should've been written on the calendar or something.

"Well, yeah but… I was thinking! We should stay here and enjoy each other's company," he suggested, trying to cover up his huge mistake.

"And what would we do?"

Gilbert sure had a lot of ideas of what they'd do together. They would all have to wait until he finished watching the premiere, but they were sexy ideas indeed. Maybe tonight would be the night she finally gave in! After all, it'd been many months since he last got any action from her and tonight would be a great opportunity. It was their anniversary, so it's only natural that's what they would do!

"Well, what would we do if we'd go out?" he said.

"I want to get dinner at that fancy French restaurant. That's the only place that serves the most quality wine that I like."

They sure weren't cheap, though. Who cares about fancy wine when you can chug a bunch of cheap beer at home, comfortably?

"I miss the days where 'going out' meant going to the arcade and kicking each other's asses at Dance Dance Revolution. And when we got too old for that, we'd go out to the bar with the guys."

"Idiot, that's called high school and college. But, whatever. We don't have to go anywhere," she sighed and began to walk off.

"Wait, we'll go! I'll take ya anywhere you'd like. Just, smile. Okay?" Gilbert figured it would be easier to submit than to ruin his chances by upsetting the prize.

"Fine… but, wear something nice!"

* * *

><p>Lovino nervously paced back and forth in front of the stairs that led to the second floor of his home. Stupid Feli, always taking forever to get ready, he thought to himself. He seriously needed to give that airhead a nice lecture before he would be off on his way to a party. It was a nice Friday night, and Lovino wished he had some friends to be invited to a party by. But, he'd much rather go to a classy party with attractive women, instead of some crazy college party. And that's exactly why he needed to set down the rules to his younger brother.<p>

"Finally, what the hell took you so long?" he said, when Feliciano finally appeared.

"I was looking for my house key, can you believe it was in the tub?" Feliciano giggled, and headed towards the front door.

"Wait! I haven't told you the damn rules yet." Lovino quickly grabbed his brother's arm and whirled him around.

"Alright, first thing's first. Do not drink anything that anyone gives you. Anyone! And, don't smoke, either. I'll kick your ass if you come back smelling like cigarettes. If you see anyone with drugs, get the fuck out of there. Lastly, if you do decide to drink, only have one! Drunk driving is such a shitty move, you'll get busted before you know it. You know what? No, just don't drink at all."

Lovino finished explaining the rules so fast that Feliciano hardly understood any of what was being said. It was nice that his brother cared for his safety, but none of that was even going to happen.

"But, it's just a small get together. At most, there will be about 15 of us there! Luddy and Kiku are going, too. It is really just a gathering for us art students, I promise!" Feliciano whined, when Lovino wouldn't let go of his arm.

"I don't give a shit who is going to be there. Just remember those rules, you should be able to since you're not too far from graduating."

"Okay, okay. It's so sweet of you to worry so much! But, you know you don't have to," Feliciano smiled and tightly hugged Lovino.

"Whatever! I'm just trying to help you, as the mature adult that I am! Now, get the hell out of here."

Lovino waved goodbye as Feliciano darted out of the front door. Finally, another peaceful Friday night alone, sitting at home with nothing to do and no one to be with. Not that it mattered, he could always watch TV or call up one of his buddies! If he didn't want to deal with anyone right then, all he had to do was quietly read a book and enjoy some relaxing music. That was the life, not having to deal with people who had too much damn energy for their own good.

He plopped down onto the couch and snuggled against the pillow. This was almost comfortable enough to be sinful. He reached for his little novel on the coffee table and opened it up. It was getting to the good part, where the two main characters finally admit their love for each other. This book was so corny and shitty, and he loved it so much. Lovino was actually envious, because stories like these don't usually happen in reality. Just reading about it made him feel depressed, but that feeling of desire kept him going from page to page.

"Stupid bastard, you don't know how lucky you are," he said, cursing at the man in the book.

If he and Gilbert were in a love story together, he'd definitely confess his love the first chance he got. The longer the wait, the more complicated things would get. Who cares about plot and development, he'd immediately take Gilbert on in the first damn scene! Yeah, he'd have that crimson-eyed bastard falling head over heels for him. Lovino the prince, and Gilbert the idiot. That jerk would be swooning over him every time. He'd give Gilbert just what he wanted, and have him screaming his name all day, every day -

Suddenly, the doorbell rang before Lovino's imagination could become any more perverted and deranged. Damn whoever is at the door, damn them to hell. He was so comfortable, lying on the soft couch and shamelessly fantasizing to his heart's content! Maybe they would go away once he didn't answer. If only they had, but the bastard kept on pushing the doorbell as if they were trying to make a beat now.

"Hold on, dammit!" he yelled, getting up from his comfortable position and moving towards the door.

When he finally turned the knob to open it, the door suddenly came swinging open and the intruder forced themself on him. Their arms quickly wrapped around Lovino's body, pulling him into a tight squeeze and their lips gently plastered themselves against his into a passionate kiss. He had to admit, it was the most wonderful kiss he'd ever received.

"Gilbert… w-what the hell was that for?" he somehow managed to say, as he stared into the beautiful eyes belonging to that person.

"I've always wanted to do that. And, Lovino… I love you, more than anyone else in this whole fucking miserable world." Gilbert smiled and lifted Lovino off of his feet.

"G-gilbert…" Lovino, who was basically still speechless, smiled and leaned against Gilbert's chest as he was being carried to the bedroom.

"Hello? Lovi, come back to Earth!" Gilbert said, waving his hand in front of Lovino's blank face.

"Huh? Oh…"

Well, that was embarrassing as fuck. It seems Lovino's brain could no longer distinguish between corny fantasy and reality. He had seriously been daydreaming the entire time as Gilbert stood there in confusion. His face instantly began to heat up from this realization, as he stood there in the doorway. Now he wanted to burn that stupid romance novel in the fireplace for tainting his mind.

"What the fuck are you doing here, anyway?" Lovino asked, as he let Gilbert inside and closed the door.

"I had a long day. Like, a seriously long ass day." Gilbert walked over to the dining room table and plopped down into a chair.

"So? What does that have to do with me?" Lovino joined him at the table and began to feel irritated already.

"Nothing, actually."

They sat there in silence for a short while as Lovino casually sipped from his glass of ice tea and Gilbert played with a spoon. It was nice that he wasn't alone anymore, but Lovino wondered why the hell he had decided to visit now, of all times. He also noticed that Gilbert seemed distressed.

"Lovi, am I attractive?" Gilbert suddenly asked.

"W-what? What the hell are you saying!" Lovino felt flustered beyond belief as he tried to think up an answer to that insane question.

"That's what I was thinking! Of course I'm fucking attractive. Yet, Liz won't have sex with me. In fact, we haven't done it in months! Impossible with my awesome body, right?" Gilbert said, frowning down towards the table.

"Huh?" Lovino almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. His panicking face turned into a deep scowl.

"Today was our anniversary. I took her out to dinner, and she flipped at me when I wasn't really paying much attention to what she was saying. And… I kinda flipped at her for yelling at me. The rest of the evening was alright, but she went to bed early, and told me to fuck off when I touched her!"

An exasperated sigh came out of Lovino's mouth as he tried his hardest to resist reaching across the table to strangle Gilbert to death.

"I thought you said you wouldn't fucking come to me for stupid shit like this! I don't give a fuck about your stupid sex life."

"Who said that was the only reason I was here? What if I just wanted to see you?" Gilbert said, and teasingly winked.

"Yeah, you just wanted to see me two hours before midnight." Lovino sarcastically rolled his eyes.

"Yup! Anytime, anywhere."

Lovino blushed and looked away to avoid those teasing eyes. Damn him for being such a damn tease. He was definitely doing it on purpose, as if he knew how Lovino felt. He just had to be doing it on purpose, there's no other explanation!

"Hey… let's go out."

As if his heart wasn't tight enough, now it began to race and Lovino could've sworn it would have popped out in any second.

"What d-do you mean? B-but… we can't!"

"Why can't we? I'm bored, so the only thing left to do is a night out on the town."

Oh, so that's what he meant by that. Lovino didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted. Maybe disappointed? No, he shouldn't feel anything, because even if Gilbert and Elizaveta are currently fighting, they're still together.

"I don't feel like it. But, you're welcome to leave any time you want," Lovino said, as his usual pout took over his face.

"Aw, c'mon. It's Friday night! You're sitting here alone, looking depressed. What's wrong with having a little fun?"

"I'm not fucking depressed! I'm sitting here because I'm waiting for Feli to get back from a stupid party." Lovino crossed his arms on his chest and hoped that time would go by much faster.

"He's 21 years old now. And you're 23, going on 50! Loosen up, you're not his parent so who cares?" Gilbert continued to prod in a voice of reason that Lovino just couldn't resist.

"Fine! Just shut the hell up. We'll go out for a quick drive, I feel like having something sweet anyways."

* * *

><p>Lovino grabbed his keys and they hopped into his car. Gilbert's mood seem to have been lifted once they were cruising on the road, and that made Lovino feel a bit at ease. He really hated to see any expression on Gilbert's face that wasn't happy. Though, he'd never admit this because he never really had happy expressions on his own face. As they drove, he couldn't help but sneak a glance over to Gilbert at every chance he got. It was a surprise how they didn't crash into anything.<p>

They finally arrived near the pastry shop that was Lovino's favorite. Since it was in a small but very busy part of the city, Lovino had to park a short ways away from the shop. He didn't mind walking the rest of they way, since it meant more time to spend with Gilbert, who had been talking about a number of strange things the entire time.

"Hey, Gilbert!" someone called out, as they walked down the sidewalk.

Gilbert turned around and smiled at an older looking man not too far from where they stood. "Oh, hey!"

Lovino impatiently waited as Gilbert went over to the man and began speaking to him. They were speaking in German, and Lovino assumed the man wasn't all too experienced in English. After a minute, the man walked away and Gilbert rejoined Lovino as they began to walk again.

"Who the hell was that?" he asked.

"Oh, that's someone I know. I wouldn't have passed some of my college courses back then, if it weren't for him!"

"Oh. What were you talking about? German is such a fucking weird language, I don't understand any of that shit."

Gilbert laughed and gently nudged Lovino in the side. "Then, you should learn it!"

"Yeah, right. Maybe you should learn Italian," Lovino snorted.

"I do know Italian!"

"Oh? Prove it." Lovino turned and faced Gilbert. Well, this should be amusing.

Gilbert thought for a second before smiling. He lifted up his arm and pointed a finger at Lovino.

"Mio amore."

Lovino stuttered for a few seconds before hitting Gilbert in the arm, which had no effect since he was too flustered to put any actual strength into it.

"Bastard! Don't just… say things without knowing the meaning of it! You probably just stole that from a fucking soap opera." Lovino puffed his cheeks and quickly walked up to the shop. Gilbert sure did suck at speaking Italian.

"What the hell are those?" Gilbert asked, pointing to the small cookies as they stood before the vast amount of sweets.

"Pignoli. They're good, want a couple?"

"Yeah, and some hot cocoa! It's surprisingly cold outside."

"Fine, and you better drink all of it." Lovino ordered the little snacks and took out his wallet to pay the expenses.

"Let me pay for it, since I suggested we hang out tonight," Gilbert said.

"Don't be a stupid ass, I know you spent a crap load of money at that fancy restaurant earlier."

Well, can't argue with that. Gilbert quickly shut up and accepted this kind offering as they walked out of the shop. They walked down the block to the empty park and sat down on the grass to stare up at the sky. Besides the hill on the other side of town, this was the only other spot to actually see the stars. The city was always so bright and loud, it seemed to have completely scared the stars away.

"Shit! That's hot," Gilbert yelped, when he took a big gulp of the hot cocoa.

"Idiot, you should've expected that! You're supposed to do this." Lovino leaned forward and slowly breathed towards to hot steam to cool the liquid off a little.

"Oh… yeah, I just forgot is all," Gilbert said, blushing from how close Lovino had suddenly gotten.

"So, what time do you have to be back? It's just about midnight now. Won't Liz be angry?"

Gilbert sighed and thought for a second, before saying that she might not have even noticed he had left. This short conversation somehow turned into a one-sided rant as Gilbert continued to complain about everything in his relationship. Normally, Lovino intently listened and scolded him if the problem had been his fault, but now he didn't really want to listen to it. Lately, it had just gotten too painful to listen to Gilbert's senseless ramblings.

"If you're so damn miserable, then why are you still with her?" Lovino said, but he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

Gilbert thought for a second, then replied. "It's not that I'm miserable, because I'm not. She's fun to be around, sometimes… I just miss how things used to be. Back in school, she never really took much offence to what I said or did. In fact, she was much worse than me with that stuff. But now, even the slightest things send her over the edge."

"That's because you guys were friends. Now, you have other responsibilities as a boyfriend. That's obvious."

"It's not just that, though. It's more, much more. Too complicated to explain."

"How is it complicated? If you're happy, then you're happy. If you're unhappy, then you are fucking unhappy! It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that much. And, you're always complaining about it, so why not fix it and shut the hell up?" Lovino snapped.

"Well fuck. I don't expect you to understand a thing, since you don't even have anyone and-" Gilbert tried to catch himself before he caused the legendary avalanche of Lovino's rage, but it had slipped out. Surprisingly, the scowl on Lovino's face didn't grow any fiercer. Instead, it turned into a frown that Lovino always wore whenever he was deeply hurt.

"Uh, look. I didn't mean to say it like that."

"No, shut up. You're right, I don't actually know what it's like or how you feel. And, I don't want to know. Relationships are such hard work and they always fuck up, they suck."

The darkening expression on Lovino's face failed to change even as he continued to eat his cookie. Gilbert tried to think of something, since he seriously hated that expression whenever he saw it.

"They're not all bad. In fact, they're great if you know how to manage them," he said, as he scooted a little closer to Lovino. "And, I'm sorry for always mindlessly ranting about shit to you. You know, you can always do the same to me."

"What would I possibly have to complain about? I don't waste my time on stupid things like love, and even if I did, no one would possibly love me back." Lovino's voice slightly cracked as he clutched at the small bag in his hands.

"Hey now, that's not true! Everyone has a shot at love, and I'm pretty sure everyone has someone out there that they are meant to be together with. Yeah, I know that sounds corny as hell but it has to be true."

Lovino continued to stare down at the grass beneath him. He'd heard that bullshit over and over again from different people all his life. All this junk about love being mysterious and that everyone has someone, it was all lies to make people feel better. What's the point of making yourself feel better when you know it's all lies, anyway?

"Lovi, look at me." Gilbert gently lifted Lovino's chin up towards him. "I meant what I said. You're a pretty lovable person, even if you are very rough around the edges. But, who doesn't like it rough?" he chuckled.

"S-shut up… if I'm rough, then you're a fucking canyon," Lovino blushed, as he kept his frown and tried to look away.

"Yeah, yeah. An awesome canyon. But, like I was saying, there is someone out there that cares for you, and loves you more than anyone else in the entire world."

"Bullshit."

"Not at all. And who knows, that person might even be closer than you think," Gilbert smiled, and carelessly ran his fingers through Lovino's hair.

No further words came from Lovino's mouth, as he continued to stare up into the gleaming red jewels. Gilbert silently chuckled to himself as he continued to play in Lovino's hair, hardly even noticing the face that was getting closer to his, each second that passed. Somewhere in the back of Lovino's mind, a voice was screaming at him to stop, but he couldn't. This was something he had wanted to do for so long, and the time was right. This was the perfect moment, and it seemed that Gilbert had finally taken notice of the situation. His red eyes widened, but he didn't move or back away. It seemed as if he was also getting closer now. All Lovino had to do now was -

"Gilbert," he suddenly said, as he had forced all the strength in his body to turn away. He stared at the ground for a split second before standing up.

"I… we can't be friends anymore."

Gilbert stared up at him in confusion and nervously began to laugh. "What are you talking about?"

"We can't! This is wrong… and, whenever I'm around you, I can't fucking restrain myself so it's better this way." Lovino did his best to hold in the tears that stung his eyes within, and quickly walked off.

"Wait, Lovi! What the fuck is going on? I don't understand!" Gilbert quickly followed behind, his mind shivering in fear from the words Lovino had said to him.

"You don't have to understand, dammit! Just… I'm sorry, bye."

He did the right thing, he had to do it! Lovino didn't want to imagine himself as a homewrecker. He didn't want to be the cause of a conflict between his special person and his friend. If everyone has a shot at love, then he definitely needs to look elsewhere because Gilbert is completely off-limits. He'd have to be the biggest bastard in the world to do something as reckless as what he was about to do. And well, he didn't want to be one, so he quickly drove back home, alone. He paid no attention to the tear stains on his face and he was glad to see that Feliciano wasn't home when he got back.

* * *

><p>Elizaveta angrily paced back and forth in the living room. It was the third day in a row that Gilbert had gone out drinking by himself for so many hours at a time. She figured it was because of their screwed up anniversary, since that night he came back and retreated into the basement where he had been for the past couple days. If he was seriously that depressed over not getting any action, then it wasn't her fault he was so sex deprived! She even tried to help by offering to go on a group trip with a few friends to an island that was only a few hours away. Maybe then she would've let him have what he wanted. But, he bluntly refused and went back to the basement.<p>

Finally, the door clicked open and Gilbert lazily walked in. He wasn't drunk this time, but he still had dark marks under his eyes and his skin was paler than ever.

"Out drinking again? Seriously?" she said, as she approached him.

Gilbert only shrugged and took off his jacket, failing to hang it up on the coat rack correctly.

"You won't even tell me what's wrong. As if that isn't infuriating enough, we missed the damn trip because of you!"

"I'm sorry. And, I thought you would go without me," he answered weakly.

"It's a couples trip. Why would I go alone when everyone else is with their partner?"

"Look, I said I was sorry. I just didn't feel like going somewhere and having fun, pretending to be so fucking happy when I'm not."

"Maybe if you actually told me why you have been such a depressing dark blob these past few days, then I would've been able to fix the problem! It's called communication, god dammit. We seem to lack that the most!"

As out of it as Gilbert was, he could still tell she was pissed off. But, it wasn't the type of anger that she usually had. It was a mixture of anger, frustration, and betrayal. She felt that Gilbert didn't trust her enough anymore, to tell her about his problems. He couldn't even explain what the problem was, though. Lovino had randomly broken off their friendship and left. They had been friends for almost fifteen years, and now Lovino wouldn't answer his calls nor his messages. For some reason, he couldn't tell her about it. Perhaps he didn't just feel like he lost one of his best friends, but also apart of himself and something much more.

"I'm sorry I ruined your happiness," Gilbert suddenly said.

"What? That's a bit… overdramatic, don't you think? I really, really wanted to go on this trip but it's not a life or death situation," Elizaveta responded, once she had calmed down a little.

"It's not just about the trip. It's about everything. There's always things you want to do, but I completely ignore them or complain. So, I'm sorry about that."

"That's true. But, sometimes there are things you want to do that I also complain about. I suppose every relationship has problems like that sometimes." Elizaveta shrugged to herself and wondered how the hell they had lasted for two entire years now.

"But, we never have a solution. Just problems that pile up, one on top of the other."

She had to admit, Gilbert was certainly right about that. Whenever they got into a quarrel, the anger on both sides would die out from anywhere between a day and a few weeks. But, it was almost pointless because they never sat down to discuss the problems, and a new problem would already arise to the surface by then.

"I want you to be happy, you deserve it. But, to do that, I know I'd only end up hurting you first." Gilbert sighed and looked her in the eyes.

"What are you saying? You're not even making much sense anymore more," she said. This was probably the most serious she'd seen him in over a year.

"I've slept with someone else."

* * *

><p>Lovino watched as Feliciano struggled to get some of his art things together. He was right on his way to Kiku's studio apartment to work on a group art project, but he didn't really want to leave. He knew something was definitely wrong with his older brother, but Lovino wouldn't tell him for some reason. Usually, he would tell him everything when he felt like it, but now he was starting to pretend as if it was nothing.<p>

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"Just go, this project is important and the deadline is soon, right? So get the fuck out of here," Lovino grumbled.

"But!"

"No buts! I'm fine, for the 500th damn time."

"Then, why are you still crying?"

Lovino winced and wiped the stray tear that had somehow escaped his puffy eyes. Damn, and he had worked so hard to get all of his crying out the first day! And now it was two days later, yet his stupid emotions continued to screw him over. At least Feliciano only smiled sympathetically and hugged him this time.

"I'll be back as soon as we finish! This will most likely be an all-nighter," Feliciano said, and left the home.

As soon as the door closed, Lovino could feel the rest of the unshed tears escape from his hazel eyes. What the hell have I done? This thought went through his head hundreds of times a day. He had seriously told Gilbert that they shouldn't be friends anymore. The very person he'd been friends with since forever, and the very person he'd learned so much from. He hadn't thought about what he would tell Francis and Antonio until now. When one of them proposed that they should all get together, Lovino would have to find an excuse not to go because he knew Gilbert would be there.

"God dammit!" He cursed through his tears. Now things would be just as they were after he and Gilbert had slept together. Only this time the awkwardness would be far worse, even though they hadn't really done anything, he basically semi-confessed his actual feelings a couple nights before when he ran off.

Lovino heard the doorbell ring as he tried his best to quiet his sobs. He looked on the table and saw that Feliciano had forgotten his stupid house key again and had now come back to get it, since he'd only left about five minutes before. He picked up the key and tightly clutched it. Perhaps he'd stab it in Feliciano's stomach to teach him a lesson. He wiped all of his tears from his trembling face and opened the door.

"Stupid ass, I told you -" But when he looked up, he was surprised to see an albino man with the most distressed look on his face.

"Gilbert?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Feliciano is always going out and about.. but yeah! I took a little break. I'll update the other story next time.**


	8. Departing

What Lovino stared at before him was almost too shocking to be real. Even so, it was indeed real this time, instead of one of those stupid fantasies again. But, he didn't know if he should have felt relieved to see Gilbert standing on his doorstep or nervous as hell. There was an average sized suitcase resting next to him on the ground, and he didn't even look towards Lovino's way as they stood in silence. Well, someone had to say something, so Lovino quickly cleared his throat and tried not to sound as shattered as he felt.

"Gilbert?" he began, but his voice still sounded crappy anyway. "What… are you doing here?"

"We broke up," Gilbert answered, his hollow gaze still affixed on the side of the house.

The words seemed to have passed through Lovino's ears like a short breeze of nonsense.

"What?"

"Elizaveta and I are no longer dating. Shit, do I have to spell it out for you?" Gilbert sounded more distressed than irritated, though.

"But… why? I mean, how? What the hell happened?"

Gilbert shifted his weight to one leg and leaned against the wall. He stared blankly up towards the starry night sky and sighed, thinking of an accurate answer. Everything had been so hazy those past few days, and he hardly remembered anything up to walking back into the house earlier that evening when Elizaveta had confronted him about his odd behavior. He didn't really know why he had felt so empty ever since those cruel but confusing words that Lovino had suddenly said to him.

"I told her that I had cheated on her. I didn't say with who, and she didn't ask, so don't worry… you know, it's kind of weird. I imagined she would have killed me in a split second… but, she was angry and confused, then she suddenly started weeping. I had no idea what to do then, but after a while she calmed down and said she couldn't do this anymore, and… she walked out."

Lovino intently listened with a thousand thoughts going through his head. Gilbert and Elizaveta were no longer a couple? But they had been dating for two whole years! This is all my fault, Lovino admitted to himself. If he hadn't fell head over heels for Gilbert, maybe things would have been differently. If he hadn't interrupted their relationship, his friend wouldn't have been standing on his doorstep with a blank expression on his face and an eerie tone in his voice. Elizaveta was his friend, too, and he had been the one to ruin the happiness that she deserved.

"Why the fuck did you tell her? It was supposed to be a regretful, dark secret between us! No one else was supposed to know! How could you do something so... so stupid!" Lovino yelled. All of his efforts to hide his true feelings had been wasted. He even went so far as to end their friendship, and now the bastard had to go and do this? What the hell!

"I couldn't lie to her anymore, alright? The guilt was too much, and she deserves better, much better." Gilbert shrugged and picked up the suitcase. He finally looked Lovino in the eyes, whose were slightly teary. "I just thought I'd tell you, I actually have no idea why. Anyway, I'm going to stay with my brother for awhile, I guess. She didn't kick me out like I predicted she would, but there's no point in being there, either."

"Wait!" Lovino said, before Gilbert turned to walk away. He didn't know if what he was going to say next was a good idea or not, but dammit he needed to take at least some of the responsibility, right? After all, it seriously had been his fault, at least that's what he felt.

"Um… he's not there. Feli and the others are doing a project at Kiku's so they won't be back until sometime tomorrow. But, even after that, they'll be busy with exams so… even your bastard brother doesn't need to deal with anything else right now!" Lovino nervously scratched his head and sighed to gather his words, before they came out as complete nonsense.

"So… you should stay here until then. I wouldn't mind, and Feli obviously wouldn't, either."

Gilbert stared at Lovino as if he couldn't believe a word that had just been said. Well, he seriously couldn't since he thought Lovino had hated him. He still didn't know why their friendship had suddenly been ended, and all of the phone calls and texts he sent were completely ignored. He figured that he at least deserved a logical explanation of why his awesomeness was unwanted, although he felt the opposite of awesome right now.

"But, why? I thought we weren't friends anymore, even though I didn't do shit wrong and you never explained anything, either."

He had a point there, and Lovino could feel the words stabbing his throat. Of course he shouldn't just expect Gilbert to accept his offer so suddenly, especially after what he had said the few days before and the fact that he'd been ignoring all contact. How could he explain, though? There was no way he was ready to admit his feelings, and doing so at a time like this was completely idiotic. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to confess, but for now he would simply apologize.

"I didn't mean what I had said before. Well, I did at the time, but not anymore! It was stupid, and I shouldn't have made that shitty decision. I mean, there's… no way I could ever stop being around you. Because well, it's impossible not to want to be with you and— yeah."

Gilbert only took in half of that poor explanation. Things just weren't making sense anymore.

"If you didn't mean it, why did you say it? Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No! You didn't do anything, dammit! It was me— I did things, and well… I can't explain it to you, not now. Maybe one day I will be able to but, I'm not ready yet. So… just know that I want to be friends again! If you'd let me, that is."

Lovino stepped aside to welcome him in, hoping he had understood and accepted it. He felt relieved when Gilbert finally nodded and picked up his suitcase, walking through the door without saying a word. Lovino made him sit on the couch, and walked into the kitchen to get his guest a drink. He peeked around the corner every once in awhile, watching as Gilbert only sat still and stayed completely silent the entire time. The expression from before never left his face, which made Lovino feel as if he was shrinking from the inside out.

Lovino frowned as he poured the small glass of lemonade. Never before had he seen Gilbert so upset about something. At least when he was usually upset, he'd let out some steam before going back to normal. Now, he was hardly even showing much emotion as he patiently waited there in the living room. Lovino had always imagined Gilbert would be the type to celebrate when he was done with a relationship, and go back to one night stands with random people once in awhile. He never once thought that Gilbert was in fact just an average person with feelings, even though he could be inconsiderate to the feelings of others.

"So… where did she go?" he asked, when he walked back into the room and handed Gilbert the glass before sitting on the couch; not too close but not far enough to make the awkward feelings inside of him obvious.

"Probably to Belle's place or… Roderich's. That's where she usually goes whenever we're having problems with each other. Only this time she won't be coming back," Gilbert said, slowly sipping the lemonade. Even the sweetness of the delicious substance had no effect, so he set it down onto the table in front of them.

"Oh. Well, maybe I should go apologize to her! Then she'd understand it's not your—"

"Don't be stupid. What could you possibly say? 'Sorry I slept with your boyfriend, please take him back'? There's a reason I didn't tell her it was you, so don't go screwing things up even more."

"But it wasn't simply like that, idiot! Just tell her the truth, we were drunk and things… got out of hand!"

"Anything I say now would just seem like an excuse. Drunk or not, it happened. And that's not the only reason we broke up, we've been having even bigger problems for almost a year now and it's gotten worse these past handful of months." Gilbert closed his eyes and leaned back into soft cushions, exhausted.

"Even if one day she were to forgive me for all I've done, that's all that would happen and we would move on. We're just not… in love with each other anymore. I can see that, and so can she. I care about her though, and I want her to be happy so it has to be this way."

Lovino really had no idea what to say next. He knew that no matter what he could possibly come up with, it wouldn't change anything. He still wanted to take at least some of the responsibility to ease Gilbert's pain, but how? Besides, he knew the one who needed help most was Elizaveta. He felt guilty beyond belief and torn between the two. Perhaps after the both of them calmed down a bit, they could meet up and formally talk it out. After all, ending a relationship in such a negative way was never healthy. So, Lovino decided to do his best and keep Gilbert company until he was ready to face the situation directly.

"You can use the guest bedroom on the second floor, stay as long as you wish. You know where everything is so… help yourself with whatever. I need to get to bed soon, meeting a client tomorrow."

Lovino quickly stood up from the couch and made his way upstairs after making sure Gilbert understood. He would've stayed and tried to be supportive, or at least eased the loneliness that spread throughout the room, but his head was still throbbing with worries and unknown feelings. He wasn't very skilled when it came to cheering people up or making them feel grateful to have his help, so it was unbelievably awkward; almost as awkward as the day in Antonio's house when they had met up after their affair.

"Maybe tomorrow will be different," Lovino said to himself, climbing into his bed and shutting his weary eyes.

* * *

><p>Elizaveta awoken in a bed that was very much softer than her own. She rubbed her red puffy eyes and looked around, observing a room that wasn't hers, either. Suddenly, she felt her stomach quake when her thoughts reminded her of how she had gotten there and why she was there in the first place.<p>

After the horrible truth that Gilbert had revealed, she'd been so angry that she only cried until she decided enough was enough. She had grabbed a few things, which was the first things she could get her hands on, and left the house. It was only now that she realized she didn't grabbed anything that she actually needed. Thus, was the reason she was wearing one of Roderich's nightshirts because she had no extra clothing of her own.

It felt a little strange, staying in another man's house. At first she had planned to ask her friend Belle if she could stay with her for a short while, at least until she decided what she would do. But then she remembered that her friend was out of town, on the trip that she was supposed to go on with Gilbert. On the spur of the moment, she ended up at Roderich's house, silently sobbing in his arms. It put her a little at ease when he insisted that she stay in one of his guest bedrooms for as long as she liked.

Elizaveta arose from the bed, and was more than glad when she saw she had at least packed her toothbrush and hairbrush. There was no way in hell she'd walk around in someone else's home without looking and smelling presentable, so she hopped into the shower down the hall and changed back into her own clothes. Perhaps she'd return home sometime today to pack the things she really needed, but if Gilbert was there she wouldn't know what to do.

She slowly walked down the stairs, gazing at all of the lavish pieces of artwork on the walls and the sculptures on the ground between them. Roderich had always kept such unique decorations throughout his home, and he had such great taste, not to mention his musical talent. That was one of the things she liked most about him, other than his gentlemanly behavior and kindness.

"Ah, good morning, Eliza." Roderich politely greeted her when she walked into dining room, urging her to sit down and enjoy the delicious breakfast that was already made.

They idly chatted while he patiently waited for her to finish the warm meal. He was glad to see that she had calmed down since the night before, and she even smiled somewhat from his words of kindness. She hadn't told him exactly what happened to her, but he knew it was probably the usual. Something told him that it was much worse this time, because she usually would have been laughing by now, thanking him for the hospitality and going back to her own home to make up with Gilbert.

"How do you feel now? A little better than last night, I hope?" he said, as they casually drank green tea together.

"Oh, I'm fine. Thanks to you, I feel much better than before," Elizaveta answered. But, he could tell she was still hurting a lot.

"I won't pester you about it if you'd rather not tell me. But, is there anything I could do to help?"

She slowly shook her head and smiled faintly towards him. "No, no this is the end. I saw it coming long ago and ignored it, so I won't waste my time too much on the subject. And, you've helped me a lot through everything, no matter what it was. I wish to do the same for you one day!"

"I'm really sorry to hear that… and, it was only natural that I'd help someone I care deeply for. Still, I feel as if I could do more to help you now, since you need it most. Please, don't hesitate to ask, alright?" Roderich smiled sweetly, causing her heart to jump all over the place in her chest.

Elizaveta smiled brightly this time and nodded. "Thank you, Roderich, for everything."

* * *

><p>Lovino was sort of glad to have Gilbert staying with them for a few days. He had been such an emotional wreck after he called off their friendship, which had probably been the stupidest move he had ever made in his entire life. There were a few times when they were kids when he wished Gilbert would simply fall down a well, but he never actually really meant them. Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis had been apart of his life ever since he could remember, and he didn't want that to change anytime soon.<p>

Right now, however, was a totally different matter.

"Gilbert! Get your ass out of the damn bathroom already, you're going to make me late!" Lovino yelled, repeatedly turning his head around to glance at the clock. Every second counted, but he couldn't finish getting ready until the bastard stepped out of the door. He cursed under his breath, wondering why the hell Gilbert didn't just use the bathroom in the hallway, instead of the one in Lovino's bedroom. If he ended up late because of this idiot, then he swore to himself that he'd kick Gilbert out of the house in less than a second.

Finally, the water inside of the shower was turned off. Lovino impatiently tapped his foot outside of the door as Gilbert dried himself off, taking his sweet time and whistling happily as if Lovino wasn't even waiting for him to get the hell out of there. When he finally opened the door, he stood there and smiled at the grumpy face before him.

"Your showerhead is fucking godly, it was too relaxing to just rush myself," he said, casually drying his wet hair with another towel.

"Fuck, why didn't you use the one in the hallway bathroom? If I'm late, your ass is outta here!"

"That one was taking forever to heat up, and I thought you were already downstairs so I took the opportunity."

Lovino growled, and was about to say something else when he suddenly smelt something sweet. It was almost too sweet, and was coming from Gilbert's direction, who was still slowly wiping his wet head. Finally Lovino recognized this hypnotizing scent to be the shampoo that Feliciano had bought a couple weeks before. Damn that idiot for mistakenly buying such a feminine bottle of shampoo, it was a mixture of strawberries and peaches, some shit like that. Whatever it was, it mixed in greatly with Gilbert's natural scent.

"What? Like what ya see?" Gilbert teased, when he noticed Lovino's eyes intensely scanning his entire body.

Lovino's face turned scarlet since he hadn't even noticed that he'd been doing it all along. "W-what? Fuck you!"

"Right now? That's pretty blunt of you, don't ya think?" he continued to tease, and laugh obnoxiously.

As if he couldn't take it anymore, Lovino's brain totally cracked. He mercilessly grabbed hold of Gilbert's wrist and swung him around, tossing him onto the big bed. Before he could even move, Lovino's body was already on top of him, removing the thin towel from around his waist. Gilbert's heart jumped as Lovino's tongue glided across his moist neck, collecting the leftover droplets of water from the previous shower.

"If you put it that way, then yes. Right now, bastard. Now stop squirming, or this will hurt more than it has to."

Lovino suddenly yelped as his curl was pulled with great force. "What the hell was that for!"

"I had no choice, you suddenly blanked out! And, I was just joking, I'll move out of your way right now." Gilbert quickly did as he said he would and walked towards the door that led to the hallway.

Damn, it had been another fantasy after all. Lovino sighed and put a hand to his head in frustration. He seriously needed to see a psychiatrist if he could simply jump between fantasy and reality without even realizing it. He supposed he would stop reading and watching anything that had to do with romance for awhile.

"Are you… okay? You didn't have a blackout, did you?" Gilbert asked, looking back at Lovino from the doorway.

"Nope! I'm fine, so get your ass out of here and put on some fucking clothes before you catch a damn cold." Lovino quickly moved into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him and locking it. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he moved towards the sink. It didn't help at all that there was still so much steam in there, and it smelled exactly like Gilbert did. He stopped himself with all the dignity that he had, to not deeply inhale that wonderful aroma.

It really was nice to have Gilbert over, but no matter how much he joked around and said absurd things, Lovino knew he was only trying to hide his true emotions. He had went to sleep shortly after Lovino had the night before, so that was another reason to believe he wasn't alright. After all, Gilbert usually went to bed in the morning, not at night. But, Lovino decided not to annoy him about it, because Gilbert was tough and would eventually be back to normal.

When he rushed to finish up in the bathroom, Lovino came out to find Gilbert sitting on the edge of his bed. Seems like no matter what he did, that guy was always nearby whether he liked it or not. Right now, he wasn't really like the annoying fly that he usually was, he was more like a clingy puppy. Normally, Lovino would have secretly found this cute, but he felt strange that Gilbert hadn't been out of his sight ever since he woke up earlier that morning.

"What are you still doing in here? Don't you have like, work to do today?" Lovino asked, as he quickly walked towards the closet to retrieve his favorite business tie.

"Nah, we've finally finished the development for this big project so there's nothing to do for a short while."

"You mean you don't just sit on your ass and play games all day? I thought that was what your job consisted of," he scoffed, and shook his head in disbelief.

"No way! Don't you know anything? I've helped developed half of the awesome games people play nowadays! Only boring, old miserable people wouldn't know that." Gilbert snickered and quickly stood up from the bed to move across the room. He grabbed the tie from Lovino's hands and wrapped it around his neck for him.

"Old miserable people, huh? Or maybe just people who don't have time to play childish games— what are you doing?" Lovino blushed as Gilbert moved extremely close so suddenly, steadily tying the tie around his neck.

"Helping you out. These things are like fucking rubix cubes."

Gilbert slowly did each step in tying it, pausing a couple times to think about what came next. Lovino almost couldn't believe how long it was taking him to do something so unimaginably simple, something he figured all grown men knew by heart. Then he remembered how much Gilbert hated wearing ties and anything even moderately formal. But damn, that graceful aroma from before still came from his body even though he was wearing an old black t-shirt with a skull on it, and a pair of raggedy skinny jeans.

"Got it! Now you look like an awesome business man with no sense of humor," he teased, forcefully turning Lovino around so that he could observe himself in the mirror. It was a horribly done, and looked more like a big blob instead of a neat knot. Lovino was surprised the idiot didn't accidentally entangle his own fingers in it.

"You call this a knot? I'd hate to see you tie your own damn shoes." Lovino rolled his eyes and quickly undid the catastrophic job. He glanced at his watch and almost screeched when he saw how much time had passed since he came from the bathroom. It only took him a handful of seconds to redo the tie himself.

"Whatever, I say it was awesome the way I did it. But, you should teach me how to do it later."

"Maybe, now come on, I need to tell you the rules before I leave."

Lovino led him downstairs and into the kitchen. If he was going to leave Gilbert alone in his house for a few hours, then the best thing to do would be to lay down some rules, since he didn't want to come home to a pile of rubble. He didn't care how messy Gilbert let his own house get, but there was no way he'd let him do that here.

"First thing's first," Lovino started, looking around the kitchen. "If you get hungry, don't pull everything out of the fridge and start cooking up some monstrosity. No, in fact, don't cook at all. There is leftover lasagna in there and a TV dinner that you can heat up in the microwave in a couple minutes."

"What if it's nasty? I only like the ones with the mashed potatoes and—"

"Well then don't eat it. You're not wasting our damn food, even if it is Feli's stupid packaged crap that he never even uses. There's also chips and stuff in the cabinet, so you can get full off those," Lovino said, and dragged him into the living room by his arm.

"Next, don't eat on the couch. Only I can do that, because I don't make a mess like some damn baby. We have a dining room table for a reason, so eat there when it's time."

"I know all this stuff, Lovi. I've been here a gazillion times! And you're always making up a new rule that doesn't even make sense."

"Well excuse me for trying to keep my house clean. Oh and, don't go into our rooms. If you get bored of staying down here, go up to the guestroom and do whatever. Just do not go into my fucking room without my permission. Got it?" Lovino gave him a threatening glare before retreating to the front door.

"Yeah, whatever. Oh, where'd your computer go? I need to update my blog!"

Lovino frowned as he put on his shoes. "Seriously?"

"Hey, you don't know how hard it is to manage one of the best blogs in the world."

"Feli took our usual computer, he uses it for his college crap now. My laptop is on the coffee table, don't even think about drinking near it. Now bye, I'm already about to be late." Lovino shuffled to get his jacket on and exited out the front door without looking back.

* * *

><p>"This sucks." Gilbert sighed and plopped down onto the couch. He was grateful that Lovino allowed him to stay there for however long he needed, but he was dreadfully lonely. He'd even managed to distract Lovino long enough, hoping he would be late for his meeting so that it would be canceled. Then they could've spent the entire day together, and maybe his mood would have brightened.<p>

He almost felt pathetic for being so clingy to Lovino, but for some reason he couldn't help but feel that way. He told himself the night before, that he would awaken the next day and pretend to be lively again so that he wouldn't burden Lovino with the anxiety that he truly felt. But his mind kept reverting back to the events that led up to the reason he was staying there now. He wondered how Elizaveta was doing, and if she would ever want anything to do with him again. She was a good friend, but now she probably hated his guts to death.

Stressing so much over a break-up was so not awesome, and he was used to things like this! He had no reason to feel like crying, after all, he and Lovino were friends again so that was amazing in itself. That was another thing that wouldn't leave his mind, the fact that they had actually stopped being friends for three whole days. It must've been one of Lovino's random mood swings, so there was nothing to worry about anymore.

Feeling a little confident, Gilbert turned on the TV to leisurely watch some of his favorite shows. He actually liked being here more than his own place, and going back there now would only remind him of how much of a shitty boyfriend he'd been for a long time. If only he'd actually tried to fix things when they had first began to mess up, maybe then— nope! There was no time to think about such things, he had to think positive! Perhaps this whole thing can serve as a life lesson, an experience which he will now learn from his mistakes and improve to become even more awesome, if that's possible.

Even so, his shows suddenly seemed dull now, so he turned off the machine and sat up. As much as he liked sitting around, it was not only lonesome but boring, too. Unlike his place, Lovino and Feliciano didn't have video games or consoles lying about, so there was nothing to do. Painting wasn't his style, and it was probably boring as hell so he wouldn't even attempt. His curiosity sparked when he remembered Lovino's warning.

"What do you have in your room that's so private?" he said to himself, glancing back towards the stairs.

There's no way Lovino would ever find out if he went snooping around, and a treasure hunt sounded like fun, right about now. But as much as he wanted to, he knew it was wrong to invade someone's privacy, especially when that person is kindly letting him stay in their house. He shrugged and decided to take the offer on using the laptop.

"Great, I lost a follower. Well, fuck you, too." Gilbert cursed at the unawesome soul when he opened the web browser and went onto his blog. At least the loud, kickass music on his webpage took away some of the anger and despair. He jammed to it for awhile before deciding he was literally bored as fuck.

Well, Lovino did say he couldn't go into their rooms. But, he never said that he couldn't snoop around the files in the laptop. Smirking to himself, Gilbert decided to open the documents folder. Being the 'mastermind' and computer genius that he was, he knew how to find even the most deeply hidden files on any computer. He was disappointed when he saw the only files Lovino had were mp3 files, a few recipes, something about their family business, and information about his stock shares.

"He really is an old man." Gilbert sighed and closed the uninteresting folder. He was about to turn the entire thing off and find something else to do, when he decided to look at some of the pictures.

Gilbert was shocked to see the dozens and dozens of pictures in different folders that Lovino had collected. Some were from when they were as young as ten years old, and others were taken only about a year ago. He told me that he deleted these, Gilbert thought to himself, scrolling through all of their happy memories together. It seems that Lovino really did cherish all those moments, even though he pretended to be annoyed throughout the entire time they happened.

The different photos of he and Elizaveta were almost heart wrenching. Gilbert could feel his eyes starting to fill with tears as he gazed at the folder which contained their high school memories. He had no idea some of them had even been taken, and couldn't remember what grade they were in, but the smile on her face was breathtaking. It made him regret all of those times he had turned that smile into a frown.

"Shit, got something in my eyes," he said, wiping away the sorrowful tears.

It was starting to get painful, looking at all these photos of his long-time friends who had now all gone off into the world to fulfill their dreams, or didn't have time for him anymore. At least his three best friends were still by his side, though. It made him feel a little better to see a few group photos where Lovino was actually smiling, probably the only few out of the hundreds. He especially loved the ones of just Lovino and himself, in which he usually had an arm wrapped tightly around the Italian.

Lovino was probably the only one that always told things to him like it was. If he didn't like something that was done, he'd always tell it straight to Gilbert's face whether it was harsh or not. Gilbert really loved that about him, he got straight to the point of things and didn't sugarcoat any of it. Not that he'd be able to with his foul mouth, even if he tried.

And, Lovino had always done things for him, even if he complained the entire time, or if he was having problems of his own. He actually seemed to be having a problem right now, even though he wouldn't tell Gilbert about it. Whatever it was, he'd come out with it in due time, so Gilbert would definitely be there to support him with everything he needed.

"I know, I'll make him something in return! It'll be so awesome, he wouldn't know what to do."

Gilbert turned off the laptop and quickly walked into the kitchen. Even though Lovino had told him not to cook, he didn't say he couldn't invent something awesome. Cooking and inventing the best things ever aren't the same, so who cares! He pulled out all those random ingredients lying on the shelves in the fridge, and went to work.

* * *

><p>Lovino was so glad when the meeting with his new client was finally over, and what a bitchy client they were. Oh well, money is money, and he likes money so it didn't matter. He quickly drove home, worried that he'd wish he was blind when he spotted the catastrophe when he had arrived. Although, when he actually did arrive, everything on the outside seemed perfectly normal. Hopefully, the inside would be the safe way as it was when he left it.<p>

"Lovi, welcome home!" Gilbert exclaimed, hugging him and he walked into the living room.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lovino immediately put a hand to his forehead to make sure he hadn't suddenly caught the flu or something, since his behavior was suddenly so weird.

"I'm not sick, don't worry," he chuckled, and jokingly put a hand to Lovino's forehead.

"I wasn't worried… hey, what's that smell?" Lovino looked around the room to find the source. It didn't smell like fire or anything burnt, so that was good. Surprisingly, it actually smelled pretty good, and he was hungry since he was too worried to stop and pick up anything.

"I made you lunch. You're gonna love it! It's so fucking awesome, tasted it myself." Gilbert smiled and removed Lovino's jacket, then took the briefcase from his hands.

"You— you did what? Dammit, I thought I told you the rules!"

"Relax, geez. Just because I prefer not to cook, doesn't mean I can't. Now c'mon, before it gets cold!"

Gilbert practically dragged Lovino into the dining room and shoved him into a chair. For some reason, the candles in the middle of the table were lit, and his favorite bottle of wine was standing by one of his fancy glasses. He watched as Gilbert dimmed the lights and went into the kitchen to retrieve the plate. When he brought it back, Lovino was very surprised to see a steaming plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

"You… made this?" he asked, and glanced up at Gilbert who was smiling nervously.

"Hell yeah I did, never underestimate my awesome skills. It took longer than I thought it would, and so I finished just before you got here. Perfect timing, too!" he said, and sat down in the chair next to Lovino. "Now, try it! Go on, it's good."

"Alright, damn. Here… goes nothing."

Looks can be deceiving, so Lovino prayed that this dish wouldn't kill him in the first bite. When he finally shoved a small fork full into his mouth, however, he was completely amazed. It was actually very delicious, a little salty, but nonetheless delicious. He was so absorbed in its wonderful taste, and he would've definitely believed it was made in an actual Italian restaurant, if not for the pile of dishes in the sink. Those would take a little while to clean, but the two of them would make the process go faster.

"So? How is it?" Gilbert demanded an answer as he watched Lovino swallow his third fork full.

"It's pretty good. Not how I'd make it, but still good," he answered, blushing as he scarfed down some more.

"That's it? C'mon, you know it's awesome. I did exactly as the damn book said!" Gilbert frowned, unsatisfied with that shitty answer.

"Fine, alright? It's very delicious, now stop talking for at least two minutes! I'm starving."

Gilbert continued to watch, very happy with that response. He poured Lovino a glass of red wine and stared as he quickly gulped it down. His chest was suddenly filled with bittersweet feelings, as he looked down at the table. It sort of reminded him of the first time he had served Elizaveta a meal so long ago, and she had responded the same way Lovino just did.

"I'm surprised you managed to make it so wonderfully, even though you don't even eat this kind of food. I guess when you put that little brain of yours to work, you get pretty good results, huh?" Lovino snorted, and looked to his side at Gilbert. He was completely shocked when he saw a tear fall from those red eyes that were gleaming only a few minutes before.

"What the hell? Why are you crying? I said it was good!"

"I'm not crying! This is just… well, I'm glad you like the food. I told you it was awesome," Gilbert chuckled slightly and wiped the tears from his eyes, but they continued to leak out, one after another.

Lovino decided not to go against his words, and quickly finished the last bit of the noodles. Gilbert still hadn't stopped crying, though, and Lovino really didn't want to see his table cloth soaked in tears. It's said that at times, it's good to comfort a friend who is crying. Other times, however, if a friend is trying to hide those tears, then one should pretend that they don't see them. Lovino didn't know which one he should choose, and it was starting to frustrate him to see someone like Gilbert silently crying, so he gently placed a hand onto Gilbert's back and slowly rubbed it.

"I guess even someone as awesome as I am, can't do something as simple as making a single person happy," Gilbert said, as he attempted to wipe his tears again. This time, no more flowed out, which made Lovino feel relieved; but he continued to rub Gilbert's back just in case.

"That's not true, god dammit. I… felt really happy as I was eating this food! See, I even finished all of it."

"It's ironic, how I can make you happy simply by making food I've never even made before. Yet, I couldn't even keep my own girlfriend happy." Gilbert chuckled again and shrugged, as if he had completely given everything up.

"That's not true, either! I've watched the two of you, for a very long time now… and, you looked so damn happy together, it even made me feel envious at times! You and her were the best of friends, even though you always bickered and debated on things, complete nonsensical things. To be honest, I'm actually a bit surprised that it lasted as long as it did, so that shows it must've really meant something."

"I guess… but, I still was a shitty boyfriend."

Lovino snorted and wrapped his arm around Gilbert's shoulder. "Now that part I agree on."

"Hey! You were supposed to say something nice again," Gilbert pouted, as he rested his head on Lovino's shoulder.

"I'm only telling the truth. You need to learn to be considerate of other people's feelings. It may sound like nagging or 'blah blah' to you, but it's always important to listen to what your partner is saying, no matter what. Especially if you want them to listen to you, then you better pay attention."

"Yeah… I never was really good at that. I guess it's better to start now than never. What else is there?"

"Well, there are some things that is alright to say to your friends, but not to your partner. If you do it the first time and they don't like it, then you obviously shouldn't do it again. Remember, everyone is different, so you'll have to ask them instead of assuming they're okay with it just because you are."

"That actually makes sense. Wow, Lovi… you know so much even though you haven't dated anyone in awhile." Gilbert laughed and cuddled just a bit closer.

"Watch it," he growled, and suddenly the doorbell rang.

"Aw, I was just getting comfortable," Gilbert whined, when Lovino got up to answer it.

He supposed that maybe what he needed was to get some of those awesome tears out. After all, his tears are always manly and necessary, and he was glad to have Lovino by his side once again to support him. In fact, Lovino was probably the only person Gilbert was comfortable with crying in front of. Yeah, he was definitely the only person.

"Hey, Gilly!" a cheerful and familiar voice called out.

Gilbert quickly turned around in his chair to see both Antonio and Francis walking into the room. His smile grew even brighter as he stood up from the chair to greet his other two best friends. It had been a little while since the four of them hung out, but it still felt like forever ago.

"You look quite comfortable here already," Francis said, and squeezed Gilbert into a tight hug.

"How did you guys know I was here? How did they know?" Gilbert excitedly asked, looking from their faces to Lovino's.

"I invited them over. I thought… it would be good if you hung out with all of yours friends, right about now." Lovino scratched his head embarrassingly and shrugged as the other two pretty much fondled over Gilbert.

"We should go out! The four of us need some time alone," Antonio suggested.

"You mean like, drinking?" Francis asked. He was totally up for another time at the club.

"Nah, Lovi's pretty tired right now, he had lots of business to take care of today. How about we just chill out here? Oh! We should show them the old tree house!" Gilbert was now prancing around like a small child. "Is that alright with you, Lovi?"

"Yeah, whatever. It's far better than getting wasted and listening to loud ass music."

Gilbert smiled and suddenly caught Lovino in a big hug, which made him all flustered. "Thanks, Lovino."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Gilbert was on Tumblr lol. Anyways sorry updates have been slower, I just can't write as fast as I usually do, for some reason.. **


	9. These Fears

**A/N: This story will have about 12 or 13 chapters, by the way. Enjoy~**

* * *

><p>"That's not the one I want, look for the other one," Lovino said, shooing away the pack of noodles Gilbert threw into the basket.<p>

Gilbert groaned and picked up the pack to set it back on the shelf. "It's just noodles. Aren't they all the same?"

"No, especially not when I make them. So shut up and get the other ones."

Lovino chuckled as he watched Gilbert shuffle around for the desired item. It had only been a few days since Gilbert first began staying with him and Feliciano, and they hadn't been separated since. Just about everyday was fun, but relaxing at the same time. Gilbert stopped looking depressed, and pretty much went everywhere that Lovino went, and they were now shopping for groceries. It kind of pissed him off that Feliciano forgot again to buy the things that they needed, but it was rewarding to spend some alone time with Gilbert.

"I found it! It's way up there, though. Why the hell would they put it there?" Gilbert stared up towards the top shelf, eyeing the high quality noodles. He couldn't seem to reach it, even on his tippy toes. The only solution would be the climb up and get it, obviously!

"What the hell are you doing? Get down from there, and go ask a worker to get it!" Lovino yelled, watching as the idiot stepped onto the lower shelves. Such a thing was not only dangerous, but completely unsanitary and kind of barbaric.

"Relax, I've already got—"

And then he came falling down, but didn't hit the hard tiled floor because of Lovino's reflexes. He wasn't even really high up, but if he had hit the floor then they might've had to call an ambulance because of his head splitting open.

Gilbert was tightly held by his waist in Lovino's arms. He looked up and smiled before standing up straight again.

"Thanks! I'm sure I would've landed safely, though."

"Stupid bastard, you could've broken something! I sure as hell wouldn't have taken the blame, you'd have to pay for the damage yourself." Lovino frowned and snatched the box of noodles from his hands, before tossing them into the basket and walking on.

"What, you seriously weren't worried for my safety?" Gilbert found that hard to believe, as he quickly followed behind.

"Why should I be? If it's your fault, that's too fucking bad."

"Don't lie, I know you would be worried sick if I were to get hurt! Not that I would, I'm too awesome for that shit," he smirked.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "As if. You're self-absorbed and delusional. To be honest, I wouldn't care."

"Sure you wouldn't, then why did you catch me?"

"That's… it's called reflexes, dumb ass! I had no choice, they act on their own." Lovino's face was slowly but surely turning scarlet, as he reached for a jar of tomato sauce and gently placed it into the basket. Maybe if Gilbert didn't talk so damn much, they would be finished shopping already. But that mouth continued to go on and on, never ceasing its annoying sounds.

"What else do we need?" Lovino said to himself, wishing he hadn't left the shopping list on the table before they had left.

"Beer! Seriously, you guys have none, zip, nada. How is that even possible?" Gilbert grumbled, feeling the withdrawal symptoms of not having any beer since the night he had left his house. All the Italian brothers had was wine of different flavors, which he really didn't care for. He had no idea how they could go on, living life without the beauty and wonders of beer.

"We have wine at home that you can drink, if you seriously can't take not having alcohol for so long."

"It's not about alcohol, and it's not that simple! It's about… beer. The marvelous, most awesome beverage to ever walk the earth! I mean come on, everyone knows that except you. No beer equals no life." Gilbert applauded himself for that short but epic speech, and wished he had one of those bottles in his hand right then.

"That made no sense whatsoever. Do you really love it that much? You know, if you keep drinking it so much your stomach will get big and you'll lose that figure of yours," he teased, but began walking towards the alcohol section anyway.

"No I won't! I'll always remain a sexy beast, even when I'm old. In fact, I don't grow old, I just grow more awesome."

Lovino was more than glad when Gilbert finally shut his mouth and grabbed the pack of beer from the refrigerated section. He watched, a little creeped out as Gilbert smiled and hugged the bottles before slowly setting them into the basket. He made sure they were in a safe corner so that none of his 'babies' would fall over.

"Looks like we're done. I'm starting to get hungry so let's get the hell out of here."

Lovino quickly pushed the basket, ignoring the whines from Gilbert who kept insisting to go slower so his beer wouldn't get ruined. If only he cared that much about, well, everything else that actually mattered. But, Lovino figured maybe what the guy truly needed was some beer since he was still stressing, even though he wasn't depressed anymore. If he could have, he would've taken away all of Gilbert's pain and worries and fixed everything himself, because deep down inside he still felt unbearably guilty.

"Wait!" Gilbert suddenly shouted, causing Lovino to halt and almost bumping into a shelf.

"What is it now, dammit?"

"This! We need this," he said, almost drooling at the mouth as he picked up a delicious looking cake.

"What the hell is that?" Lovino sighed and stared at the treat in Gilbert's hands. It looked pretty good, but maybe it would be too much, since he wasn't in the mood for anything sweet.

"Black Forest cake, obviously. Can we get it? We can have it after we eat dinner!"

"Well… sure, whatever. Go ahead and put it in basket, I seriously want to get out of here."

Gilbert's eyes seemed to brighten as his grin widened greatly. "You mean it?"

"I don't see why not. As long as you eat the damn thing, I'll get it for you. Maybe I'll feel like having some later, too."

He quickly placed the dessert into the basket and chuckled. "Awesome! I haven't had this kind in a while. Liz never let—"

His smile instantly disappeared from the mention of his ex. His mind was flooded with all the times Elizaveta would only buy him such treats when he behaved correctly, as if he was a small child. He didn't mind, though, and that had always been the reason he'd be good for a while; that cake was simply that delicious. Even those funny memories were a bit painful to think about.

"Just come on." Lovino frowned and grabbed Gilbert's wrist, pulling him along to the check-out counter. It only took less than a minute for him to snap out of it and go back to being annoying, but Lovino was still slightly worried for him.

When they were finished and walked back outside, he frowned once again up at the sky. The sun was entirely covered by dark clouds, as if it had never even existed. He didn't particularly get along with rainy weather, so he rushed Gilbert to put the bags into the car and he quickly drove back home. Hopefully Feliciano was there so that they could begin cooking.

* * *

><p>Sadly, his idiot brother still hadn't arrived back from his boyfriend's place, so he and Gilbert put the items in their correct places and stood around for a short while.<p>

"What the fuck, that damn idiot was supposed to help me with dinner! Why isn't he back yet?"

"He probably wouldn't come back during a storm, that much is obvious." Gilbert shrugged and chewed on the potato chips they'd bought.

"What? There is no storm… it wasn't even raining when we came out of the store."

"Didn't you see those clouds? They're almost as dark as night! Besides, the weather channel said there will be a storm sometime this evening and well, it's evening now. I'm so glad we have hot cocoa!" Gilbert smiled and closed the bag of chips to save room for dinner. He always liked the rainy season of autumn, especially storms. That meant that he could stay in all day and not get berated for it!

"Those weather anchors don't know shit, they're wrong sometimes so who cares. I'll just call him and tell him to get his ass over here right this instance." Lovino groaned and reached into his pocket to fish out his cell phone.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"And why the hell not?"

"Just let him come back when he wants to. He's probably having leisurely time with my brother! Cuddled up together on the couch in a warm blanket, feeding each other chocolates, watching a movie— well not really, the movie will be playing in the background as they start getting 'comfortable' with—"

"Oh god, shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear any of that shit, and I don't want to know about what our brothers do together, bastard!" Lovino shouted and covered his ears, as Gilbert laughed obnoxiously and made fun of his red cheeks.

"Look, I'll help you make dinner. In fact, you should show me how to make one of your famous pizzas! You should at least be able to do that much, being the owner of your family's long-time business."

"Of course I can do that much, who do you think I am? But, I'm making it. You will just have to watch."

Feeling confident, Lovino took out his favorite tomato sauce, the shredded cheese, dough, and his special pepperonis. He was a master at this, in fact, he was the master of all masters at making pizza. His pizza parlor was the best in the whole damn city, and had even been featured on TV before. He didn't work there as head chef anymore, so he took care of all the business-related things.

"How am I supposed to learn if you don't let me do anything?" Gilbert asked, but he sat on the barstool and watched as Lovino gathered the ingredients.

"I'm not letting you touch this stuff, no offense. But I'm starving, and I want it made perfectly."

Gilbert thought about saying how he couldn't possibly screw anything up with his awesome skills, but watching Lovino quickly arrange everything was very intriguing. The stern look on his face as he rolled out the dough and did his little flippy thing with it was strangely attractive, and Gilbert wouldn't help but pay extra attention. It was as if he was watching a master chef on a cooking show, except Lovino didn't smile at the camera nor did he even speak.

Every once in awhile Lovino looked up from his intense work to see Gilbert staring at him in amazement, and his face automatically heated up as he quickly continued. It was a little nerve wrecking to be watched like that, but Lovino also felt flattered when Gilbert complimented his agility.

Ah, but suddenly he cut his finger. Why was he even using a knife, anyway?

"You okay?" Gilbert quickly stood from his seat when he heard Lovino curse and saw the excruciating pain on his face.

"Yeah, it's just a little cut," he answered. Even though it wasn't all that big, it still felt like he had been bitten by a shark.

"Little or not, it's still bleeding… but, good thing it didn't get on the pizza!" Gilbert chuckled, and ignored the evil glare Lovino gave him. Hey, it was payback for what was said after he fell off the shelf at the store earlier!

"How would you like it if I cut your fucking face next time?" Lovino snarled, then groaned from the sting.

"Relax, geez! I'll stop the bleeding for you."

Gilbert suddenly took Lovino's hand and inserted the injured finger into his mouth. It took Lovino as much as five seconds to figure out what was going on, and he became speechless as his finger was lightly being sucked. Gilbert's warm tongue sent a sensation throughout his entire body that was far too pleasurable to be ignored. On instinct, he finally snatched his hand back and stuttered before catching his words.

"What the hell! What was— so suddenly… freaky bastard!"

"I was helping you out! See, it's not even bleeding anymore," he said, pointing at the clean finger that was still slightly wet.

"If you wanted to help me, you could've gotten the first-aid kit! I'll do it myself." Lovino quickly exited the room, still holding his finger that was mostly covered in Gilbert's saliva, which didn't bother him at all. What bothered him was that Gilbert had sucked his blood like a fucking vampire and now his pants were getting tight in the front.

"Whatever. I'll put the pizza in the oven since it's done heating up!" Gilbert called out, and did just that. He smirked to himself and licked his lips where a small stain of blood still lay.

* * *

><p>After bandaging himself up and avoiding Gilbert while the pizza baked, it was finally done. Lovino pulled it out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove to examine its contents. Perfect, as usual, perhaps even more perfect than ever. Gilbert impatiently waited as Lovino slowly sliced it, almost drooling over the beautiful, hot and stringy cheese that stretched as he lifted up the first slice. It was a million times more zesty than any delivery pizza he had ever seen.<p>

"Can we eat it now?" he asked, gazing at the plate in front of him.

"Go ahead? It's not gonna eat itself." Lovino carefully picked up his piece with his uninjured hand and bit into the hot slice. Absolute perfection.

"I'm getting another one!" Gilbert yelled, and stood up from the table to retrieve his second slice.

"What the hell?" Lovino couldn't believe that he'd eaten it just that fast, since he'd only just taken a second bite of his own. He was more than glad that Gilbert was thoroughly enjoying his food, but he'd end up choking if he ate it that fast.

"Damn, this tastes even better than the wurst Luddy makes!" Gilbert exclaimed, devouring the spicy pepperonis.

"Of course it does! In fact, don't even compare my beautiful Italian pizza to that dog crap you eat." Lovino snorted and slowly drank his glass of red wine. He didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult for even saying something so obvious.

"Just take the compliment without a counter insult!" Gilbert chuckled and continued to ravish the food which was practically all over his face now. He ate almost as sloppily as a dog, it was infuriating.

"Fuck, at least wipe your damn mouth, you beast."

Picking up the nearest napkin to him, Lovino quickly but gently wiped the red sauce from around Gilbert's mouth. He'd never admit that deep down inside, he might have found it to be just a bit cute.

"Oh… thanks." Gilbert felt his cheeks light up just a bit, as he went back to finishing his slice and made sure to go slower.

"Whatever, you eat like a starved puppy."

"Look who's talking! Besides, you've got a little spot right— here!"

Gilbert reached for one of the napkins and wiped the small spot of tomato sauce from the corner of Lovino's mouth. Lovino didn't protest, much to his surprise, and he wondered if it would be safe to pick up the other's slice of pizza and feed it to him. That would be extremely cute, but Lovino would probably bite his hand off instead of the pizza.

"I could've wiped it myself," Lovino muttered, and finished his first slice. He wasn't really hungry anymore, though.

Gilbert smirked and wiped his greasy hands. "Yeah, but I just felt like doing it for you. Hey, wanna have some cake now?"

"No, you go ahead. I'm pretty full."

Lovino watched as Gilbert happily retrieved the beautiful cake and sliced a nice sized piece to eat. At first, he smiled gleefully from the wonderful taste, savoring every single bite. He gradually began to eat slower and slower, until now he was only playing with the rest of it with his fork. He sighed and stared down at the plate, the same bored but kind of sad expression that he had at the store when he had picked up the cake.

"What's wrong with you?" Lovino asked, when he couldn't stand not knowing why Gilbert silently sat there for almost ten minutes.

"Huh? Oh, I guess I'm just not that hungry anymore."

Lovino snorted at that. "You're always hungry. Now tell me what's really the problem, I'm tired of looking at your depressing face."

Gilbert shrugged and rested his chin down on the table.

"I guess… I'm just worried about Lizzy. Every time something reminds me of her, I can't help but feel so bad. Completely unawesome."

"Oh… well, that's normal. You're probably going to be feeling like that for quite a while."

"Yeah, but I don't want to feel like this. She probably never wants to see me or hear from me again, but I really want to make sure she's okay. You know? It's not like this whole thing will just blow over, we have to contact each other sometime and each day that goes by seems… even scarier than the last."

Uh oh, Gilbert was being 'deep' again and Lovino really had no idea what to say. It's not like he's ever gone through a rough break-up before, since his past 'relationships' had only been dates and a few times sex with a girl that he really, really liked. But, they all ended like a simple piece of paper, floating off into the breeze and forgotten.

"Maybe I should go see if she's at home… but, what if she's not ready to see me yet? Would it be the right thing to just barge in and expect her to talk to me? What if she's not even there?" Gilbert asked these questions but didn't expect an answer since he was only talking to himself. He scratched his head in frustration and wondered just what he would do.

"I don't know… no one knows except her. And, what would you do if you saw her, anyway? What would you say?"

"Well, first I'd apologize. I don't expect her to ever forgive me, and a simple 'sorry' won't mean shit, obviously. But, I'd still say it anyway. Then I'd make sure she was okay, and ask her how she's been. This is probably the longest I've gone without speaking to her."

"Maybe you really should just try it, then. You won't know the results until then, so when you're ready—"

"I'm going to see if she's at the house right now." Gilbert nodded and stood up from the table.

"Right now? As in— now? Are you sure about that?" Lovino's eyes widened as he watched Gilbert march towards the front door to put on his shoes and jacket. He seriously was going to do something so reckless!

"If she's there I'm going to apologize and stuff. And if she wants me to just leave, then I'll do that, too."

"And if she's not there?"

"Then I'll come back, duh. I'm not sure if she's ready to talk about anything yet, and I don't think I am, either… but, I really have to make sure she's okay! Even if I can just catch a glimpse of her, that'll be good enough."

"How do you even plan to get there? I'm not driving you!"

"I'll catch a cab!"

Before he could say anything else, Gilbert was out of the door. Whether this was a good idea or not, Lovino wasn't sure. He had a feeling it seriously wasn't, but whatever. Gilbert could do whatever he wanted, he shouldn't care what mischief that idiot caused. He sure hoped nothing would go wrong, though. Seeing Gilbert without a smile or an evil smirk on his face made him feel incomplete.

* * *

><p>Lovino patiently waited for Gilbert's return. It was night now, so some of his favorite shows were on, but he couldn't concentrate at all. Perhaps things would actually go greater than he expected. Maybe Elizaveta was there like Gilbert hoped, then they would be able to finally face each other and maybe even work things out. It would take time, lots of time, probably more than just a couple meetings. But Lovino knew they would most likely become friends again one of these days.<p>

What if things went even better than that, though? What if the main thing that they needed was a break from each other, and they would soon realize how much they needed each other? Would they make up and become a couple again?

It was possible, because Lovino remembered when the two of them had gotten into a huge conflict a little over a year ago and were temporarily apart. He remembered seeing them kiss again after they had made up, and he felt like apart of him completely shattered inside. He didn't know why at the time, but now he knew it was because he had started to like Gilbert as more than a friend back then. If the same thing were to happen now, he wouldn't know what to do.

"Get a hold of yourself, who even knows if that'll happen!" he said to himself.

If they were to ever get back together, then he should be happy for his friends, right? He knew, though, that he would be far from happy. He might even go into a deep, dark depression and never come out of it. That was a bit overdramatic, but for some reason he wouldn't be able to take it if he had to see Gilbert and Elizaveta holding hands or kissing again. Just the thought made him sick to his stomach, and even sicker in the chest from guilt.

He had nothing to do with their relationship, and so he really shouldn't care if they decided to make a rash decision such as restoring their relationship once again, even if he secretly disapproved.

"I'm back."

Lovino turned around to see Gilbert walking through the front door and quickly shutting it behind him. Apart of him felt relieved, but another part was so very curious.

"What happened?" he asked, not even waiting for Gilbert to finish removing his jacket and shoes, which were slightly wet. "And you're wet?"

"Oh, it started raining on the way back. And she wasn't home… so I guess she's still staying with a friend."

Well, if she wasn't home, then that meant Lovino's nightmare hadn't come true. But, it was also raining, which he hated. He hadn't even noticed the sounds of raindrops as he sat on the couch, deep in thought the entire time Gilbert was gone. He was probably just worrying for nothing.

"What's in there?" he asked, pointing to the backpack Gilbert was wearing, although he didn't leave with it on.

"Oh! While I was there, I picked up my awesome games so I wouldn't be bored anymore."

Gilbert smiled and practically ran into the living room. He opened the backpack and pulled out his gaming system and a couple of games to go along with it. After his little reunion with the inanimate objects, he connected the cords to the TV and turned it on with Lovino's permission.

"Wow, so, you play this whenever you're bored?" Lovino watched, kind of bored already as Gilbert started his RPG.

"Of course. Everyone who is anyone owns a PlayStation 3, and since you don't then that means you're a nobody," he teased.

Lovino didn't comment back on that unfunny joke, since his mind had stopped listening and he wandered back to his previous thoughts. Would Gilbert ever reconsider dating Elizaveta again? What if they had a dramatic reconciliation and ended up getting married and then having a child named Gilbert Jr.? Lovino's head was screaming with absurd thoughts and his eyes almost jumped from their sockets from the pressure.

"Gilbert, would you ever get back together with Liz if the two of you made up?" Lovino somehow brought himself to ask. His heart pounded in anticipation as Gilbert paused his game and gave Lovino an odd look that meant he shouldn't have even asked.

"It's like I said before, we aren't in love anymore… it sounds weird saying it, but when I think of her I don't feel those type of feelings anymore. I mainly just care for her as a person now, I guess. You know, instead of a girlfriend?"

Lovino stopped himself from sighing with relief, and watched as Gilbert stared off into space instead of resuming his game. He wondered if what he had asked was insensitive or something that strictly wasn't any of his business. But, why should he care about what the answer would have been? He seriously shouldn't have cared, but he did. He cared so much that he didn't know how to react.

"You know what, maybe I'll call her. She might not have my number blocked," Gilbert said, reaching for his cell phone on the coffee table but pausing. Maybe the fact that she wasn't home was some sort of sign that meant he shouldn't try contacting her yet.

"If that's what you want to do, then do it." Lovino shrugged and picked up his book to read, this time it wasn't a romance novel.

"But, what if she hates me? What if right now, she's wishing I was dead somewhere in a big ditch on the side of the road, waiting to be eaten by coyotes!" Gilbert shuddered at the thought and buried his face in the couch pillows next to him.

"What the hell are you saying? She's not like that, and she wouldn't wish that upon anyone. She may get angry sometimes and can kick anyone's ass, but she's not some witch that curses people." A deep frown spread on Lovino's face as he set the book down once more and decided if he should slap some sense into Gilbert or not.

"But… she has every right to want me dead."

Even though he wasn't saying it clearly, Lovino knew Gilbert was frightened right now. He knew that he had a big fear of being hated by people, even if he tried to make them think he didn't give a damn. Gilbert always acted as if he didn't care about what others thought, but it was the exact opposite no matter what he said or did.

"You won't be at peace until you contact her, right? Then give her a call." Lovino picked up the phone from the table and shoved it into Gilbert's hands. Maybe all he needed was a little encouragement.

"And if she doesn't want to talk to me?"

"Then she won't answer her phone. You could always try again another day, I'm sure she'll come around."

Perhaps Lovino was right, if she was ready to speak with him, then she would answer. If she didn't, then she wouldn't. Either way, someone had to make the first move in contacting each other, so Gilbert decided to give it a shot. He hesitantly stood up from the couch, and walked into the other room as he found her name in his contacts' list.

* * *

><p>Elizaveta was having the time of her life. Roderich had taken her out to different places these past few days, and she loved every single one of them. He told her that it was unhealthy for a beautiful young woman such as herself to lie around the house all day, depressed. He didn't want to see the distressed expression on her delicate face any longer, so he decided to show her the good time that she deserved.<p>

Tonight, he had taken her to see one of his favorite plays starring a rather famous actor. It was a very long play, but also very interesting and exciting, so it was almost a full house. At intermission, they exited the huge auditorium, laughing together and discussing the events that had happened in the play so far.

"I'm so grateful that you've taken me here, Roderich! This place is truly amazing," Elizaveta exclaimed, looking around at all the fancy décor in the hallway and the equally classy people. She herself wore her most beautiful dress that she had retrieved from her closet the day before, Roderich was amazed by her beauty.

"No need to thank me, you've told me that you have been wanting to come here, yes?"

"Oh yes, always! It makes me even happier to have come here with you. I can't wait until the next act starts."

"Neither can I. And, it brings me great joy to know you're having fun. Would you like me to get you a beverage?"

"If you'd be willing. I'll just have some water, please and thank you so much!"

"As you wish, milady." Roderich smiled and kissed the back of her hand, before walking off to get the beverages.

The great smile wouldn't leave her face as she put her hands to her rosy cheeks and sighed contently. She was ecstatic to have been having so much fun, but she sort of felt as if she was taking advantage of Roderich's kindness. For him to treat her to so many things at once was a little overwhelming, but she enjoyed every single bit of it to the fullest. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have just a little more fun, before going back on her own. She'd definitely have to do something for him sometime, but she didn't know what.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the small tune of her ringtone chirped from inside of her designer handbag. If it was Belle, she'd definitely tell her how much fun she was having and of how happy she was to be going out with Roderich to these lavish places almost every night.

The cheeky grin from her face changed when she read the name of the caller. She looked as shocked as someone who had seen a ghost, and she almost dropped the phone from her hands as she fumbled with it. Her stomach was floating all over the place, and she didn't know whether to answer it or not. Truth be told, she had wanted to tell Gilbert off for awhile, but was too afraid to contact him. Her attitude slowly began changing though, after all these wonderful times out of the house. Now she had no idea what to say to him.

The phone didn't cease ringing, however. She knew that one of these days they'd have to talk to each other anyway, since they technically still lived together. Maybe she'd just listen to what he had to say, and then respond from there. Nothing could ruin her good mood now. She deeply inhaled before clicking the button and placing it to her ear, waiting for the voice on the other line.

"Hey, Liz… please don't hang up, if you're listening! I don't expect you to forgive me, nor do you have to actually care about what I have to say. You have every right to be angry with me, but I just needed to know if you're okay. So… that's why I'm calling now, because I can't stand not knowing if you're alright."

"Hello, Gilbert…"

* * *

><p>Lovino continued to read as he patiently waited for Gilbert to return from the other room. He trusted that Gilbert knew what he was doing, and that everything would be alright. He was very curious as to what was being said, but as long as there wasn't any yelling going on, then there should be nothing to worry about. And, Gilbert had said there was no chance of them getting back together, so he didn't have to worry about that, either. Although, he felt like a pathetic sore loser for having worried about it in the first place.<p>

Finally, Gilbert walked back into the room and sat back on the couch next to Lovino. They looked at each other and nodded, no words were needed to be exchanged. Gilbert chuckled to himself and resumed playing his game.

"What's so funny?" Lovino asked.

"God, that woman… she's far too kind to me. I think I would've been more comfortable if she had screamed into the phone and told me to go jump from a cliff. But, she said she was doing fine and I heard people in the background. So she must've been having fun somewhere. She… really deserves someone as equally kind as she is."

"Yeah, I agree. You get what you give, right? Or something like that."

Gilbert laughed again and nodded. Lovino was so glad to see a true smile on his face once more, and almost felt weak in the knees because of it. It was good that Gilbert and Elizaveta had made the first step to overcoming this situation, even if they hadn't really discussed it over the phone. Perhaps such things would be better discussed in person. At least they weren't hostile towards each other, even if they were a little awkward.

"What'd you say just now?" Lovino looked up from his book at Gilbert.

"Hm? I didn't say anything," he answered, and went back to slaughtering trolls on the video game.

"But, I was sure I heard some—"

Suddenly, the noise was heard again, but this time much louder and it caused Lovino to almost jump from the couch.

"Oh, that's just thunder and lightning. Told ya there was going to be a storm."

Lovino cursed under his breath and prayed that it would pass soon. Other than bastards, potatoes, or even potato bastards, he hated storms with that same passion. Ever since he was little, those evil clouds have terrorized his peace and caused him so much trouble, that was the main reason he loved summer more than every other season. Sure it was hot and annoying, but there weren't any storms. Now that autumn had shown its ugly face, he would be traumatized once more.

Everything would be okay, all he had to do was distract himself from the shitty weather! Yeah, he needed a distraction.

"Hey, um… we should play whatever the hell this game is together!" he suggested.

"Ah, this game is only one player. We could play a different game, though! Hold on, let me find a save point." Gilbert was now excited that Lovino actually wanted to play a game with him, for whatever reason. He'd definitely choose a fighting game next, and kick Lovino's ass just for the hell of it.

"You know what? Keep playing this game for a little while, it has some pretty sweet background music." Lovino quickly grabbed the remote and turned the volume up as far as it would go, which was a lot since he had surround sound speakers. His attempts to drown out the ferocious sounds of the storm was working!

"Um, Lovi! I think you've turned it up a little too much!" Gilbert yelled over the sound of arena music.

"No, no it's not loud enough!" Lovino tapped the volume button as hard as he could, but it was at its max. As if the storm knew what he was doing, it became even more ferocious and shook the windows slightly. At least he still had the tarp over the tree house, since it had rained just a little bit the previous day.

"Are you trying to make the neighbors call the police or something?" Gilbert grabbed the remote and turned the volume back down to its original level. He frowned at Lovino, who was trembling in his seat with his legs curled up to his chest and squeezing a pillow between his arms.

"Dammit, bastard! My strategy was working until you fucking ruined it!" he yelled, rocking back and forth.

"What the hell has gotten into you?"

The thunder gods roared even fiercer, before Lovino could even answer. Now Gilbert remembered that Lovino had always been so afraid of thunder and lightning when they were kids, but he had no idea the guy was still scared to death of simple weather changes. But, here he was, a grown man huddled up on the couch with a pillow over his head to try and drown out the terrible noises. It was actually extremely adorable, except the screams that came from his mouth after every lightning strike in the sky.

"Lovi… are you still afraid of storms?" he asked, although the answer was obvious.

"I'm not afraid! I just… I just fucking hate them, that's all!"

Okay, now that was just too damn cute. Who cares if he's an adult, Gilbert wanted to snuggle him tightly and tell him that the big bad storm would be gone soon! But, he actually had no idea how long it would last, and Lovino jumped every other second. Suddenly, he had an idea!

"Hold on, I have just the trick!"

Gilbert jumped up from the couch and ran up the stairs. Lovino hardly even noticed that he was gone, since he was concentrating on happy thoughts. Stupid childhood therapy! Thinking happy thoughts didn't work for these situations, and he would've murdered the therapist who put that bullshit into his head.

"Here, put these on." Gilbert suddenly reappeared with a pair of panda earmuffs in his hands. He sat down next to Lovino and smiled.

"Panda… earmuffs? What the hell are you doing with those, and why did you pack them if it won't be snowing for another two or three months?" Lovino frowned at the cute spectacle and didn't even want those things on his ears. They were far too embarrassing, even if they were the only two people home.

"Don't complain about the way they look! They're cute and awesome, I packed all my awesome things. Well, my most awesome things because everything I own is on a different level of awesome." Gilbert placed the earmuffs on Lovino's ears and gave him a thumbs up.

"Wow, this shit actually works. I can still hear you but… the storm sounds like a muffled sound from far away!"

"See, I told you! And, you look so cute." Gilbert smirked and patted his head.

"Shut up—"

Then everything suddenly turned pitch black, and he squealed before throwing himself at Gilbert, which caused the latter to fall back into the cushions with Lovino on top of him.

"Shit, the power went out. Lovi, relax, I can fix this!"

Gilbert almost had to use all his strength to pry Lovino's arms from around his neck. It was suffocating, but he finally managed to get the Italian off of him, and stood up from the couch to search for a flashlight.

"Where do you keep your flashlights?"

"In… in the drawer of my desk in the office room!" Lovino sputtered out, tightly clenching one of the pillows again.

"Alright, be right back!"

This had to be the worst night ever. It had gone from relaxing to terrifying in a matter of minutes, just when he and Gilbert were having a good time, too! It was also beyond embarrassing that he had revealed his long-time fear in front of his crush; he just wanted to die. It would have been different if they were still kids, but he was a damn man now, he had to be tough! Well, fuck that because he didn't feel tough at all.

At least he couldn't really hear the storm as much, anymore. These childish earmuffs come in handy, he thought to himself. He decided that the next time, he'd go to the store and buy some of his own, without the silly decoration, of course. Still, even though he couldn't really hear the scary sounds, it was still as dark as it could get. He could hardly even see his own hand in front of his face. The dark was another thing he hated, but maybe not as much.

"Boo!"

"AH! W-what the fuck, you stupid bastard! I hate you!" Lovino screamed and hit Gilbert with the pillow, as he'd somehow reappeared in front of him and pointed the flashlight in his face.

"Hey, hey! I was just kidding!" Gilbert laughed obnoxiously, almost to the point of tears.

"Get that thing out of my eyes, dammit."

"Sorry. Anyways, now that I've got the flashlight, we can light some candles until the electricity come back on. Where do you keep them?"

He was about to tell him, but decided that maybe this would be a chance to redeem his dignity.

"I can do it, I don't want you burning down my fucking house. Just… bring the flashlight."

Lovino scrambled to his feet and led the way into the kitchen with Gilbert right behind. He pulled out the matches and a few unused candles from one of the drawers, and they lighted them together. After placing a few in safe spots, he put the last one on the coffee table and collapsed onto the couch. All this parading around while half frightened to death was tiring.

"This sucks. I totally didn't even find the damn save point in time!" Gilbert pouted and lied down on the couch.

"Who cares about that— and hey! You're taking up all the damn space. I was sitting here first," he growled. He tried pushing Gilbert's legs out of the way since they were practically in his lap, but nothing was working.

"Technically I was here first, but I'm kind of tired so let me have some peace?"

"Like hell! I can always push your ass off this couch. It's mine, you know!"

"You could also always sleep in your bed upstairs. C'mon, don't be so mean, Lovi. I'll sit up once the power is back on I promise."

Lovino grumbled and stood up, then walked out of the room. Gilbert thought he had won but Lovino soon returned with a big blanket he had retrieved from the downstairs closet. Without a word, he plopped down onto the couch once again and lied down next to Gilbert. Since the couch wasn't quite big enough for two people to share in that position, he was actually half-way on top of Gilbert, as the rest of him squeezed onto the cushions so he wouldn't fall to the hardwood floor below.

"What are you doing?" Gilbert turned a deep shade of red from how close Lovino's face was to his.

"Since your stupid ass won't move, then you'll just have to deal with it."

There was no way in hell Lovino would go back to his own bedroom. He wouldn't even go up the stairs, since it was still pitch black up there. They'd only lit a few candles around the living room, the bathroom, and the kitchen. There was no telling how long the power would be off, and he was secretly still very frightened.

Gilbert smirked and pulled some of the blanket onto himself. "Are you still scared?"

"As if. By the way, if you ever tell anyone about this, I'll fucking kill you."

"I won't, as long as you don't tell anyone about me being a nervous wreck earlier. Then it's a deal."

Lovino nodded slightly and yawned, closing his eyes. He was actually too exhausted to even feel flustered about the fact that he and Gilbert were sleeping together, and so close like this, too. And, Gilbert smelled pretty good. His body was warm and smelled of the cinnamon rolls they had baked together and eaten earlier that day. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he soon began to drift off as he listened to Gilbert's soothing heartbeat not too far from his ear.

Whereas Lovino was practically asleep now, Gilbert found it hard to completely relax. He was kind of squished against the back of the couch, and being so close to Lovino was making him nervous. After a few minutes of trying to ignore the soft lips that weren't too far from his own, the electricity came back on.

"Oh, hey! It's back on, now I can make us some awesome hot cocoa with marshmallows!"

Lovino only groaned and nuzzled into Gilbert's neck. Well, that obviously meant he didn't want to get up. Maybe next time, then.

* * *

><p>After finally leaving his boyfriend very early the next morning, Feliciano drove hectically back to his own home and hoped his brother wouldn't be too angry with him for skipping out. It wasn't often he got to spend the night at Ludwig's house, so he didn't want any interruptions. Besides, he was just as afraid of storms as Lovino was, so there was no way he'd go back home and deal with it like a soldier.<p>

"I'm home!" he called out as cheerfully as he could, hoping Lovino would succumb to his sweetness in case he really was angry.

The house was silent, as he walked on through, and when he reached the living room he saw why. It was the most adorable sight he'd ever seen! Lovino and Gilbert were still cuddled together warmly on the couch, and the cutest pair of earmuffs were on his brother's ears for some reason. He didn't want to wake them up, but his silent giggling was enough to make Lovino stir.

"Mm… Feli?" Lovino lazily mumbled and he opened his eyes and stared up at the lively face above him.

"Oops, sorry to wake you! I'll go ahead and make breakfast to make up for my absence yesterday evening. Try not to wake Gilly." Feliciano smiled and waltzed into the kitchen to get to work.

As if he hadn't noticed the sleeping body wrapped around his own, Lovino's eyes widened as he gasped and remembered what had happened last night. Gilbert was still peacefully sleeping, with his arms wrapped around Lovino's waist. It was kind of adorable, but even more so embarrassing. He decided the best thing to do would be to get up and help Feliciano with breakfast before he would take a warm shower.

Gilbert groaned and tightened his grip as Lovino was about to get up.

"Hey, let go, I'm getting up."

"Nooo, stay," he mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Fucking hell, don't make me knee you down there, my leg is in the right spot!"

But, Gilbert refused to loosen his grip as he cuddled closer. This idiot was seriously too needy, and Lovino supposed he had no choice but to go back to sleep, for now.


	10. Realizations

**A/N: Hi! Sorry this took so long to come out, but I'm feeling kinda better now. So please enjoy, and thanks to all those still reading this and my special buddy for her kind words!**

* * *

><p>The wonderful aroma of something cooking dragged Lovino out of his comfortable bed and out into the hallway. He could already hear Feliciano and Gilbert chatting downstairs, which made him feel a little happy for some reason. He really enjoyed having Gilbert stay there with them, no matter how much he tried to say otherwise. It was as if the three of them were a family now, except the couple of times that Ludwig came over and tried to drag Gilbert back home with him, assuming he was only causing troubles for the two Italians. Lovino successfully made up an excuse as to why Gilbert just had to stay with them, and told Ludwig to get the fuck out.<p>

"Morning! I hope you slept well so that you won't be especially grouchy today."

Feliciano happily greeted Lovino as soon as he descended the stairway. As usual, he ignored the irritated glare that his older brother sent him.

"I'm never grouchy, shut up. So, where's the food? It smells… good."

Lovino walked past Feliciano, avoiding his hug and diving into the dining room. When he got there, Gilbert smiled at him from where he stood next to the table. Even though his stomach was growling, Lovino couldn't help but blush from that bright smile and wished it could have been the very first thing he saw that morning.

"Morning, sleeping beauty. You must've been really tired if you slept in longer than me," Gilbert said.

"Don't call me that. And of course I'm tired, it was you and Feli who wanted to hang out in the tree house all night like a bunch of damn kids. Besides, it's only ten o'clock in the morning."

Lovino quickly placed himself in a chair at the table and gazed at all of the wonderful food. All of his favorite sweet breads were there, and even things he didn't usually eat for breakfast. Along with his coffee, he hastily piled a bunch of bacon and eggs on top of everything else that was already on his plate.

"It was fun, though. You gotta admit that." Gilbert chuckled to himself at Lovino's gluttonous behavior and sat in the seat next to him, doing the same thing with his plate.

"Fun or not, I refuse to do it again," Lovino scoffed, sipping his coffee and eyeing Gilbert from the corner of his eye.

"Well, since you're awake, I guess we can eat breakfast now," Feliciano said, walking into the dining room to join them, then frowning when he saw they'd already begun. "Oh, I see you've already done that."

"Oh right, thanks for the food, Feli." Lovino nodded at his brother and picked up a piece of sweet bread to finally calm his starving stomach.

"But, I didn't make any of this. This was all being fixed when I came downstairs. So thank Gilly." Feliciano gave Gilbert a thumbs up and sat down to collect his proportion of the food before it cooled down.

"You mean, you seriously made all this?" Lovino's eyes quickly darted towards the chuckling man next to him and then back to the food. Now he was having second thoughts about eating it at all. Feliciano was always the one to make his favorite foods, so who knows what it would taste like now that it was cooked by someone else. Especially since that person was Gilbert.

"Hell yeah I did. You don't have to applaud, but it would be much appreciated."

As if he was ever going to do that. Lovino stared at the food for a short moment, contemplating if he should just get over it because his stomach felt like it was eating itself now. The spaghetti Gilbert had made only a couple weeks ago on the first day he began staying with them had been pretty good, so there should have been no reason to hesitate now.

"Well, thanks… I guess." Lovino shrugged and bit into the bread as if he hadn't been worrying the entire time. To his great surprise, it was even better than the ones Feliciano made him. Maybe even better than when he made it for himself. Just maybe.

Gilbert knew his cooking was the best, everyone else was just too stuck up to admit it. He watched, smirking to himself as Lovino began devouring the food, occasionally humming at its wonderful taste.

"You did pretty good… for a novice," Lovino teased, and washed down some of it with the remaining coffee in his favorite mug, which had a mustache design on the side.

"I'm not a novice! And I didn't do 'pretty good', I did awesomely. So you're welcome."

Lovino decided not to argue with this delusional fool, and to just enjoy his great breakfast. When all was finished and they helped one another clean the dishes and table without breaking anything, Lovino retired into the living room to watch the TV. Gilbert, of course, quickly followed after and plopped down next to him on the couch.

"So! What are we watching?" he asked, tugging at Lovino's sleeve. He was sitting pretty close, despite the fact that there were two other cushions which were empty.

"I don't know yet? And why are you sitting so closely? You've been extremely touchy-feely lately, I think you have been around Feli too much.. Stop that." Lovino sounded like a grumpy old man as Gilbert continued to pester him.

"What are you talking about? I'm not even touching you," Gilbert claimed, smirking as he nudged Lovino in the side anyway.

"Yes, you are! Now stop that, childish bastard."

Nonetheless, Lovino continued to helplessly giggle as Gilbert went on an all-out tickle attack and they teased each other back and forth for countless minutes. Such simple gestures of friendship were common things that went on everyday between them now. Whenever Lovino returned home, pissed off from work or exhausted, Gilbert always managed to find a way to make him smile, no matter the situation. It annoyed him sometimes, but Lovino was happy to have a friend like him.

"You two get along so well these days," Veneziano exclaimed, when he walked into the living room to find the other two sitting together on the couch and Gilbert's head resting on Lovino's shoulder.

"Shut up, you're just over exaggerating."

As usual, Lovino puffed out his cheeks and tried returning his attention back to the TV. Seeing as he didn't shrug Gilbert from his shoulder, that must've meant he obviously didn't mind it being there.

"I mean it! In fact, I remember about ten years ago when we were kids, you guys used to argue quite often and then Lovi would run behind Tonio when he thought you'd beat him up," he said, joining them on the couch.

Gilbert laughed at that and nodded. "I remember that, too!"

"Well I don't, so there's no reason to talk about it anymore," Lovino snarled, as his cheeks lit up from those embarrassing memories.

"You don't remember? C'mon, you've got to! You had twice the bad attitude and short temper back then, and I just loved teasing you to bring it out. It's funny because you actually thought I'd kick your ass, and Toni would get so pissed at me. He was like a mom." Gilbert continued to laugh and bring up more embarrassing events that Lovino would rather have kept hidden in the back of his mind. He wondered how Gilbert could remember so many simple and useless things from ages ago.

"I said that's enough, now shut your mouths and watch the screen!"

Gilbert sighed and finally did as he was told. "Fine, fine. I won't start talking about the time when we were still in elementary school and you spent the night at my house, wet the bed, and cried until I gave you the cookies that we weren't supposed to eat."

"I wonder how far I'll have to shove this remote up your ass to make you shut the fuck up," Lovino hissed, narrowing his eyes and considering the possibilities.

"Remember the time we—"

"Shut up, Feliciano! You're banned from the living room for the rest of the morning, goodbye."

"But, it wasn't going to be about you, I swear!" he cried.

"Then what were you going to say?"

"After Grandpa Caesar passed away, you and I didn't know what to do… then Luddy, Gilbert, Francis, and Tonio came over with all these sweet treats! And we all went out to have a picnic together, it was so fun. They really cheered us up, didn't they?"

All was silent for a few seconds as the three of them got lost in their own thoughts. Lovino really did feel grateful for all of the fun times they spent together, which dragged him out of that depression. As much as his grandfather pissed him off with that loud mouth of his, and the whole deal with supposedly favoring Feliciano, Lovino still loved Caesar with all of his heart. Even Gilbert found the old guy to be fun and hilarious.

"Oh, um… I guess they did cheer us up."

"Damn, Feli. You really shot down the mood there," Gilbert chuckled.

"I didn't mean to, and at least those are happy memories that we can all smile about!"

"Yeah, I guess so. Your grandpa was the best."

And so Gilbert went back to lazily leaning against Lovino and occasionally nudging him to get a funny reaction. Neither of them had anything to do for the day, so they settled with watching a couple episodes of some random show Gilbert picked out, which Lovino announced was the stupidest thing he'd ever watched. However, he didn't once think of changing the channel.

Suddenly, Feliciano gasped. "Oh, by the way! The art exhibit for us students is tomorrow and well, I admit I'm kind of nervous that so many people are going to be there… and, since a couple of my pieces will be on display in the front."

"Are you bragging?" Lovino asked, raising an eyebrow as he was already a little irritated.

"No, of course not. I was just hoping you two would come! You'll also be here all day tomorrow, right? So you guys can come together. And Gilbert, you really have to see Luddy's piece, too."

"Yeah, he told me about it. And, I plan to begin staying with him from today onwards. My awesome presence will definitely be there tomorrow, though."

Both Lovino and Feliciano turned their heads to him at that statement, obviously taken by surprise.

Lovino frowned deeply and shook his head. "What? Is he pressuring you to leave again? I already told the bastard that it's okay for you to stay here. It's… not troublesome at all."

"I know, but I'm the one that asked him, this time. He agreed, and so sometime today I'm packing up my things and leaving."

Feliciano instantly began whining and practically begging for him to stay. It was fun having a guest once in a while, since Lovino refused to ever let Ludwig spend the night when Feliciano asked. Sure, he had been there almost two weeks now, but every second of it was fun and Lovino liked waking up every morning to see what shit Gilbert would get him into for the day in their average little lives.

"But, why? I mean, I don't give a shit if you leave or not. You've been here long enough… but, I thought you liked it here?" Lovino asked, still glaring at the man next to him.

"I do. I love it here, obviously! I mean, I only stay at places which I find to be awesome. But, I can't keep living off you guys like some stray puppy."

"So you're going to do it to your stupid brother instead?"

"Yup. We're related, so that's different."

"Not really… besides, you've paid for a lot of things since you began staying here, so it's not like you're some damn freeloader. And… I said that you could stay as long as you wanted, remember?"

"And I have. It's been a long, fun stay. So, thanks." Gilbert laughed and gave each of them a pat on the shoulder, until he noticed the sad frown never leaving Lovino's face. "What, are you gonna miss me that much? Lovi… I'm flattered."

"No I won't! I'll be glad when your loud, annoying ass is out of here… this news just took me by surprise, that's all. You should have told me sooner, at least yesterday, bastard."

"Sure, sure. I'm sorry, I guess I should have. I only just discussed this with Luddy a couple days ago so it's not like I've been keeping it a secret or something. It's not even a big deal, you know?"

"Yeah… it's not a big deal, so it doesn't matter to me. Whatever."

Even though he said that, Lovino refused to let Gilbert use his shoulder as a pillow from then on.

"Well, since you're leaving today, I think that we should do something fun together," Feliciano suggested.

Gilbert snickered and gave him that usual mischievous grin. "So it's fun you want, huh? Mm, I know lots of different types of 'fun' we can have."

"No, you're not taking my brother to a strip club, dumb ass." Lovino was quick to interrupt before things got out of hand.

"Hey, I was only joking! Well, what did you have in mind, Feli?"

"Hm… well, what we talked about earlier made me think of going on a picnic again. It was so much fun last time, and we haven't done it in forever, literally!" he exclaimed.

"That sounds stupid and a waste of—"

"Sure! Sounds awesome, when are we going?" Gilbert asked, completely cutting Lovino off and sounding just as excited as Feliciano did.

"We should start making the lunches right now! Oh, and I'll have to bring a big blanket for us to sit on. We should go to the area by the lake, far away from town. It's much more beautiful there. Do you think it's windy outside? Can Luddy come too?"

Lovino simply sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration at all of the excitement around him, deciding he had no choice. Gilbert and Feliciano discussed all of the plans and made decisions without him, so he really didn't care anymore. It was already upsetting enough that Gilbert was seriously going to leave them this evening, and now he was going to get dragged out of town? Just perfect.

"Cheer up, Lovi. It's good to get out of the house once in a while. Especially when you're not leaving to go to work or a meeting, boring shit like that. Let's just have fun, alright?"

"Whatever. Don't expect me to enjoy it, though… because I definitely won't!"

* * *

><p>Although he refused to help make the lunches, Lovino made sure to supervise Feliciano and Gilbert's work. He knew that Feliciano could make damn good sandwiches and salads, but he didn't trust that crimson eyed fool. He'd been proven that Gilbert was a rather good chef, that much was true, but he definitely didn't want any sausages in his lunch. It was bad enough that Gilbert had stuffed their refrigerator with the disgusting meat, so he definitely didn't want any of it on this picnic that was supposed to be relaxing.<p>

Once they'd finished arguing about which little snacks to take and packing their things, they picked up Ludwig from his apartment and set out on the road. All the while driving, Lovino was forced to listen to the useless rambling going on between Gilbert and Feliciano. The only thing he would ever agree with Ludwig on was that those two were way too excited about something so simplistic. By the time they arrived at the open grassland not too far from the lake, Lovino had a raging headache.

"I think over here is good," Feliciano said, when they finally found a spot under a large tree to sit after he had rejected so many before. One more time and Lovino would definitely have exploded on him.

"It's surprisingly very sunny out, I guess summer decided to come back one more time in the middle of autumn. Am I right?"

"Gilbert, that does not make any—"

"Shut up, Ludwig. It makes sense to me, alright?"

Lovino sighed loudly and plopped down onto the big blanket under the shade. "How about both of you Germans shut up, sit down, and eat so we can leave this damn place already."

Once they all received their equal portions, it was mainly silent except for the small chatter between Feliciano and Ludwig, and the birds chirping nearby. Out of boredom, Lovino observed as Gilbert ate a little less messier than usual, Ludwig ate at a steady and orderly pace, and Feliciano consumed his sandwich like a sloth. After he slurped down some of the cool lemonade, he was ready to go back home.

"Try some of my banana pudding, I made it myself," Feliciano said, slowly scooping a spoon-full into Ludwig's mouth.

"Oh god. Do you seriously have to do this every damn time?" Lovino was just about ready to barf as he turned away from the grotesque couple and hoped he'd be able to hold his lunch in his stomach where it belonged, and not on the grass.

"Alert, alert! Old married couple committing lovey-dovey acts!" Gilbert teased, pointing and laughing as Feliciano used a napkin to wipe the sides of Ludwig's mouth.

"He was just helping me, that is all." Ludwig frowned and avoided his brother's remarks as a hint of a blush filled his cheeks.

"Whatever, don't be mad because it's true. You two act like one of those couples in a shitty drama, where one of you dies at the end from sickness. So typical. And you've been dating for, what, two and a half years or so?"

Feliciano frowned slightly and waved a finger. "Gilly, you shouldn't say such mean things. Don't worry Luddy, he's probably just jealous because he's single now. But, I'm sure he'll get used to it soon."

Both Lovino and Ludwig suddenly burst out with laughter as Feliciano only shrugged, clueless to his harsh words of truth.

"W-what? I'm not jealous! Why would I need to be, it's awesome being alone anyways. No one telling me shit to do, nothing to worry about at all," Gilbert explained, but the red blotches on his face said otherwise.

"Oh shut up, you just got your ass handed to you, so don't even try to explain."

Lovino continued to chuckle to himself as he grabbed some of the banana pudding and scooped it onto his paper plate. If only Feliciano said things like that more often, perhaps it wouldn't be much of an annoyance to have the idiot around. Or maybe he did those things intentionally to make people think he was oblivious and innocent, just so they could feel the burn twice as hard when he casually lashed out at them. Whatever it was, Lovino had to give him some props.

"Whatever, you losers just can't handle me. Now where's the pudding? I want more."

"Everyone had an equal share, it's not our fault you scarfed it down like a ferocious beast," Lovino said, slowly eating his portion just to be a tease.

"Sorry, Gilly. I'll make sure to bring extra next time, though!"

Gilbert was once again forced to watch, as Feliciano tried to feed some of his pudding to Ludwig, who politely tried declining each time to avoid further embarrassment. Lovino continued to savor each bite of his, taking notice of Gilbert's staring.

"You know what would be awesome?" he finally said, when he couldn't take it anymore.

"What?"

"If you fed me like Feli feeds Luddy!"

Lovino instantly paused and almost dropped his spoon from that idiotic suggestion. "Hell no! You're not a baby and… and I don't have to share with you. You ate yours, so too bad."

"Aw, c'mon! Think of all the things that I have done for you."

"Like what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. This should be interesting.

Gilbert thought for a few seconds then nodded. "Like… that time you broke your leg in high school! And, I carried you all the way to the nurse's office from the field."

"Anyone could have done that. And you would have to be an evil bastard to just leave me lying there, especially when it was your fault that I broke it in the first damn place!"

"Oh, right… okay, and what about that time I gave you a couple hundred bucks?"

"You broke one of our antique lamps, plus you forgot to give me a birthday gift a week before that."

"Fuck, why do you always make it seem like I'm the bad guy?" Gilbert pouted, trying his hardest to remember a time that actually turned out in his favor.

"That's because you usually are the bad guy."

Lovino stuck out his tongue before shoveling another spoon-full of the delicious banana pudding into his mouth. There was probably only a few scoops left on the plate, and Gilbert was running out of time fast! He quickly scrambled around in his memories before a wide smirk grew on his face.

"What about last week?" he asked, leaning just a bit closer to Lovino.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"You know, last week? Surely you couldn't have forgotten when the power went out during that storm. Then we slept toge—"

"Okay! Shut up! I'll give you some, but only because I'm full now, anyway."

Lovino shoved a big wad of pudding into Gilbert's mouth to keep him from uttering another embarrassing word. There was no way he'd ever forget that unfortunate event, but mainly because he didn't find it unfortunate at all. He had even considered thanking the storm for giving him the opportunity to cuddle so closely to Gilbert on the couch that night. And the next morning, they continued to cuddle until Gilbert had finally stopped being lazy and woke up. Lovino would never admit to having woke up again just a few minutes before him, and casually playing with Gilbert's messy hair to his heart's content. Gilbert really was a heavy sleeper.

"See, now was that so hard? It's so delicious, I want some more."

Lovino groaned but decided to do as he was told. This time, he slowly fed Gilbert another spoon-full and resisted the urge to shove the entire plate into his face. Eventually, the rest of his precious pudding was gone and the two of them were forced to watch Feliciano and Ludwig start acting mushy again.

"Screw this, I'm going for a walk. Call me when you guys get fed up with each other's faces and it's time to go home." Lovino stood up, brushed off the small crumbs from his jeans, and began walking away.

"Wait for me! I'm not watching the two love birds play tonsil hockey."

Practically jumping up from the blanket, Gilbert followed after Lovino as they walked along the narrow trail and disappeared down a hill.

* * *

><p>"So, where are we going? It better be awesome, since you didn't allow me to bring my PSP with us."<p>

"Who the hell brings an electronic game system to a picnic?" Lovino asked, rolling his eyes.

"The real question is, who doesn't? We could have at least brought kites to fly… but, you guys didn't even have that at your house. Seriously, what the hell do you two do for fun?"

"Kites suck. They fly for a split second before crashing to the ground, every single fucking time. Then, you're sitting there with the stupid strings tangled up like spaghetti, cursing to yourself when you can't get them loose. Next thing you know, you're having a raging fit as you toss it to the ground again and repeatedly jump on top of the piece of junk."

"I'm guessing that has happened to you? Because, I'm a professional at flying kites," Gilbert snorted.

"It hasn't happened to me! I was just… using it as an example. Whatever, if you're a so-called professional, then I'm forcing you to teach me how to fly one sometime. Forget about that stuff for now, I wanna show you something."

Only a few seconds later, they came upon a vast field of flowers. Purples, yellows, reds, pinks, and oranges spread all throughout the area as if to form a rainbow with only a few missing colors. Seeing as Gilbert almost went into shock from the beautiful sight, Lovino grabbed his hand and led him into the center of it all before plopping down onto the ground.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? This place is probably the only peaceful area that's also gorgeous at the same time. Feli and I used to come here with our grandfather when we were kids."

He sighed and placed his hands behind his head, gazing up at the beautiful clear blue sky. If Lovino wanted to, he could fall asleep in that comfortable position and take a wonderful nap for hours. Of course, who knows what he'd wake up to find.

"This looks… almost exactly like the nesting ground for the elves!" Gilbert exclaimed, finally snapping out of his trance.

"What?"

"It's a place on this new RPG that I play!"

Is this bastard seriously comparing this outrageously beautiful nature to a damn video game? Lovino's thoughts swarmed with knocking some sense into the mesmerized fool next to him and forcing him to appreciate the natural beauty in life.

"Can't you at least try to be, like, romantic for once? Or something other than thinking about games, porn, and food?"

"You forgot 'awesome'. However, that's not all that I think about! Hmph, I'm offended that you would say such things about me. Hell, I can be romantic when I want to, probably even more than you." Gilbert plucked one of the nearby flowers and twisted the stem between his fingers.

"Yeah? I'd like to see you try, since you live in a fantasy life instead of reality," Lovino scoffed.

"It's simple. All you have to do is say some cheesy line, but make it sound believable. Like… 'Lovino, you are the light at the end of this dark tunnel of my life'. Or, if you want to try and make it sound complex, 'You are the bright spirit that guides me through this dark tunnel of my life, encouraging me to reach the end of this rigid abyss where we shall meet the light together'."

Lovino stared, confused and unsure if any of that made sense and if he actually liked it or not. "Where the fuck did you hear that?"

"On TV once. But, everyone knows that actions speak louder than words."

Suddenly, Lovino found himself watching as Gilbert lied down beside him and began to run a hand through his chestnut colored hair. He hummed silently and chuckled to himself as he played with every single strand of hair on Lovino's head that he could reach.

"Now what the hell… are you doing?"

"Being romantic?" he answered, gliding his hand around, just barely missing the curl.

"You're just messing up my damn hair, I hardly think that's romantic at all." Lovino's eyes turned away from staring at Gilbert's face to avoid any unnecessary blushing.

"It still feels good though, right?"

"Whatever… it's making me sleepy, that's for sure. Um… so, d-don't stop."

Gilbert laughed shortly and nodded at Lovino's embarrassing request. A free head massage was all he wanted, really! Even though Gilbert's hand was only gently fondling his head, he could somehow feel the soft touches throughout every nerve in his entire body. That hand was also warm, it was unimaginably soothing. Lovino shut his eyes and listened to the subtle humming originating from Gilbert's throat.

He could feel himself slowly drifting off, although it was probably a bad idea to fall asleep right then, since he still had to drive all the way back to the city. Maybe just a couple more minutes, then they would get up and return to their annoying younger brothers to get the hell out of there. Yeah, just a few more minutes of the wonderful sensation of Gilbert playing in his hair. Lovino supposed he learned something new that day. He liked having his hair played with, he liked it a lot. As long as his curl wasn't touched, everything was perfectly okay.

"Mm, Gilbert," he muttered, almost not realizing he'd said it aloud.

"Hm?" Gilbert found this little situation to be quite amusing, since Lovino was acting like an adorable puppy who really liked his ears being scratched.

Lovino finally opened his tired and relaxed eyes, staring up into Gilbert's bright ones. They were even more noticeable than the many different colors of flowers around them. He concluded that Gilbert's crimson eyes were better described as jewels, instead of mere plants. They looked exactly like rubies, which were now his favorite gemstones of all.

"There you guys are! We've been looking for you."

A glass shattered in Lovino's head when he heard the call of Feliciano's voice. Gilbert's hand quickly disappeared from his head, leaving him severely disappointed and starving for more. He irritably sat up and turned around to see the other two waving for them to come back.

"It's official! Feli is the world's most certified cockblocker," Gilbert laughed, standing up and stretching.

"W-what do you mean by that?"

"Hm? Nothing at all. Here."

Gilbert handed the plucked flower into Lovino's hands and patted him on the back before jogging back up the hill. Lovino stared at the red tulip before clenching it into his hands and deciding to keep it, only because it was too beautiful to toss to the ground. That's the only reason.

* * *

><p>Once at home again, Lovino tried to hide the fact that he was moping around the entire time that Gilbert was packing. It was going to suck, just being him and Feliciano in the house again. But, that's the way it had always been, and he figured he'd better get used to it once more.<p>

"It was nice having you stay over with us, I hope you do it again really soon," Veneziano said, as he gave Gilbert a big hug.

"Yeah, it was awesome! It's not like I'm moving to another planet, though. So you guys can stop looking so sad."

Lovino snorted and turned his head, there was no way he'd be sad about something so stupid. "Tch, I'm not sad. So, bye."

"Good, good. Because being sad sucks, I should know. Well, see you guys whenever."

Gilbert waved one last time before picking up his suitcase and opening the front door to leave.

"Wait! I mean… aren't you forgetting something?" Lovino called out, unable to stop himself. Usually, there would be a little kissing scene at this moment in one of the soap operas he'd watched or the books that he read. He knew that wouldn't happen now, but it was fun to pretend.

"Um, no? I don't think so." Gilbert stared back at him for a short while, thinking to himself about what he could have possibly forgotten. Suddenly, he smiled and turned around. Before Lovino knew it, he was wrapped tightly in Gilbert's arms into a long hug.

"Thanks. You know, for everything you've done for me these past two weeks and more. Who knows where I'd be if it hadn't been for you, I really appreciate it."

Lovino listened as Gilbert whispered those words into his ear, repeatedly thanking him and ceasing to loosen his grip.

"I… well you— It was nothing, so… you're welcome, dammit."

Once he'd finally let go, Gilbert smiled and gave Lovino a pat on the shoulder before heading towards the front door again.

"It's okay to miss my awesome self. I just might miss you, too. Anyways, see ya!"

The door closed with a slight slam as Lovino stood in the same position as before, enthralled by Gilbert's scent that still filled the air.

"Your face is red," Veneziano pointed out.

"No, it's not."

"Yeah, it is."

"Shut up and go be annoying somewhere else!" Lovino yelled, running up the stairs and into his bedroom where he plopped down onto the bed like a distressed teenage girl. Their home would definitely be silent from then on, and he wouldn't have to worry much about his physical appearance anymore while he slouched around the house. Still, he'd much rather it be loud and fun with Gilbert, more than anything else.

"He could always come by anytime, so it's not like I should be sad," he muttered to himself, burying his face into the pillow.

* * *

><p>A handful of days went by, but Lovino's mood was still unusual. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to go back to his normal, grouchy self. He'd only heard from Gilbert once, but it was a text saying how much Ludwig was getting on his nerves already. Lovino really didn't give a crap about that, especially since it was to be expected.<p>

At work, he completely ignored his colleagues bickering and, well, everything else for that matter. He decided that maybe he would invite Gilbert over for dinner that afternoon, and he'd yell at the idiot for leaving a couple bottles of his stupid beer that neither Lovino nor Feliciano even drank. Yeah, that'd be a good excuse, and then Gilbert would come over and drink the beer while they have dinner, since it would be late. Obviously, it would only be a coincidence that he'd arrive during suppertime.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Lovino snapped out of his daydreaming to find Arthur waving a hand in front of his face. How long he'd been there, who knows.

"No, was I supposed to be?" he answered, a little irritated as he gathered his things to leave.

"It's only common courtesy to listen to people when they are addressing you. Anyways, your new client whom you will be meeting with next week, is very important to us. Try to be kind, alright? Even the slightest comment could get you on their bad side."

"Alright, alright. I'm leaving for the day, I've got… things to do."

Great, another bitchy client to deal with. What sucks most is that he couldn't even tell them to shut the fuck up! That was considered 'rude' and whatnot. He was especially glad when he finally exited the building and began walking down the sidewalk. Maybe it would be best to call Gilbert? Or a text? He didn't want to sound weird or desperate, because he definitely wasn't. But, he had no idea why he was even nervous in the first place.

Usually, Gilbert either came to visit them without their permission, or Lovino invited him only to rid himself of the everlasting boredom that always haunted him. He would call and say 'Get your ass over here and entertain me, I've got free food' or something like that. However, lately, even the smallest attempt to contact Gilbert seemed impossible. Perhaps he was just used to having the guy around, that had to be the reason.

Strolling along seemed to give his thoughts some fresh air, so he decided to return home after a few more minutes. As he came along, he noticed a familiar figure walking in the opposite direction as him. When he looked closely, he saw that it was none other than Elizaveta.

For some reason, he felt that he should hide. There was obviously nowhere to hide, though, and she would immediately recognize his face. He hadn't seen her since that time at the town square, and seeing her now that she was no longer with Gilbert felt unimaginably awkward. Without thinking, he took out the cell phone out of his pocket and began to fiddle with it, pretending as if he wasn't paying attention. Yeah, that would definitely work.

"Lovino? Hey, how are you!" she called out to him, as they were just about to pass each other.

"Ah— hey, Liz." Lovino cursed inwardly to himself at his fail plan as she gave him a tight hug.

"I haven't seen you in awhile, how are things? Oh, let's get a drink together!"

Since they happened to be standing outside of a coffee shop, they both agreed to get a refreshing beverage before they would sit down together. Oddly, Elizaveta seemed to be a in very happy mood, even more so than usual. Lovino hoped that she wouldn't notice how awkward he was feeling.

"So yeah, I've been average… what about you?" he asked.

"Oh, I've been doing great! I guess I'm in high spirits because of my great progress at work and other things. But, I've been feeling much better since the break-up, which I'm pretty sure everyone knows about now."

"I'm sorry about… you and Gilbert." Lovino quickly slurped some of his cappuccino to avoid feeling even more awkward, especially since he didn't know if a 'sorry' was the right thing to say at that moment.

"Don't be sorry, Lovi. It was something between us, and well, I knew our relationship was coming to an end a long time ago."

"But, I had always thought that you two were the perfect couple, or some shit like that."

Elizaveta chuckled and shook her head. "There's no such thing as the perfect couple, silly! Every couple has their ups and downs. Sometimes… it's just hard to get through them, though."

"Do you hate him now?"

She paused for a second in the middle of drinking her green tea to think. She then set the cup down and gave Lovino a firm look, then shook her head again.

"No, no. I could never hate anyone, especially him. For some reason, I still care for the jerk… I mean, we've had our fair share or arguments and fights, but I could never bring my self to hate someone whom I used to see as my best friend. We've spoken a couple times since that night… and we plan to meet up soon to discuss things about our living situations."

Gilbert had been completely right. This woman sure was far too kind for her own good, and she deserved happiness perhaps more than anyone else. If it were Lovino who had found out his partner cheated, he would have no doubt been in prison by now for murder. He felt his chest cringe as he listened to her explanation, since he had played a significant role in their break-up.

"And, it's just like you said before, Lovi. Gilbert thinks in such strange ways, I could never truly understand him. However, you understand him quite well. Sometimes it's as if you two know what the other person is thinking."

"No, well, sort of… I mean, it's only natural that I do. That bastard's been around me for a long time and I guess you can say that we know things about each other that no one else does. He's… my best friend, just like Antonio and Francis are."

"Hm, but it's much more than that. You two have a lot of chemistry, and no matter what kind of predicaments you get into together, you're somehow always able to go right back to being close friends. It's almost as if you two are linked by the red string of fate!" she chuckled, and teasingly winked. "What do you think?"

It was true that they had a few things in common, but were they really that compatible? Despite being annoying most of the time and always teasing people, Gilbert was someone that could never be replaced in Lovino's life. He was funny, obviously not bad looking at all, considerate when he wanted to be, and had a cute side that Lovino was sure only he knew about. Sure, he was very rough around the edges, but they both were, and so they understood what it was like to be misunderstood by others.

Lovino liked Gilbert a lot, he truly did. Those feelings of like slowly began to transform into more complex feelings that he couldn't understand at first, but it suddenly all made sense now. He didn't know when it had happened, or how. He wasn't even quite sure why it happened, but he knew the truth, and that truth wouldn't change whether he wanted it to or not. Nothing anyone could have said or done would change the way he felt about the man who sent his life into confusing spirals.

"I— I'm in love with Gilbert," he blurted out. He had no idea why he had just told that to Elizaveta, who stared at him in shock from that sudden announcement. What he did know was that his heart exploded and his head would soon, too.

"I know," she responded, and casually went back to consuming her beverage.

"W-what? What the hell do you mean by, 'I know'?"

"I mean that I've always known. It's so easy to tell by the way that you look at him. And, you two have a bond that I don't think anyone else has. That's very admirable, in a way."

Lovino could only stare down at the table as millions of thoughts ran wildly in his mind. "But, still… how did you know?"

"I guess it's women's intuition? Just kidding, but like I said, it's pretty obvious!" Elizaveta chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"You mean, you seriously don't find it weird as fuck that someone else… is in love with your ex, and has liked them even before you guys broke up? I mean, you're not even the least bit pissed?"

"Why would it be weird and why would I be angry? Lovino… you're my friend, too. Aren't you? I want you to be happy, and it's not in my hands to say who you are allowed to fall in love with. That's just silly!"

Her reactions to everything that he was saying was definitely unexpected. He almost found himself completely unable to speak as he slowly finished his drink, failing to take notice of everything else around him and getting lost in his thoughts.

"Anyways, I don't want you to feel as if you're doing something wrong. Gilbert and I are not together anymore, and there aren't any hard feelings, I think. Besides, if it weren't for him, I would have never met Roderich so many years ago. He has been so generous to me lately."

"Wait! Where are you going?" he asked, when Elizaveta stood from her chair.

"I'm going out somewhere fun this evening, so I must get back home to change. It was nice talking with you, though! And, Lovino… don't hold back, okay?"

She gave him one last confident smile before quickly walking off and disappearing around the corner. Lovino was almost clueless of whatever had just happened. He'd spoken with Elizaveta, who seemed oddly happy, and admitted his love for Gilbert. Right, that's exactly what happened—

"I'm really… in love with Gilbert?" he asked himself, when he reached the subject in his thoughts. That's what he had told Elizaveta, and it was also how he truly felt. It was beyond frightening, and now he was shaking. A mere crush had actually turned into love. Love is not something that he wanted— well, he did. But, who doesn't? When he thought about himself actually being in love with someone, it almost made him go crazy.

He sat there, consumed in his own thoughts for a few more minutes before deciding he should probably go home and hide in the tree house for a few hours to sulk. As soon as he stood from the chair, the ringtone on his cell phone went off. He didn't need to guess that it was Gilbert, and he froze for a short moment before answering it on a whim. Before he could speak, Gilbert sighed into the speaker.

"Hey Lovino, also known as the guy who doesn't call me anymore for some reason. What're you up to?"

"M-me? Not call you? Dumb ass, if you wanted to speak with me then you should've called first!" The nervousness from Lovino's voice completely disappeared as Gilbert laughed and he couldn't help but laugh himself.

"Nah, that's your job. I've been waiting for you to call me and beg to be around my awesomeness, but you never did so I decided to make it easier and call you myself."

"As if I'd ever do that… and, I was going to call you soon, actually," Lovino admitted, as he began to hurry home.

"Really? I mean, of course. What were you going to say?"

"Yeah, well, you left some beer at our place. I don't like to waste food and stuff, so you better get your ass to my house and drink them this evening. And… while you're there, we should have dinner together. I mean, if you want to. I don't care if you don't, more food for me and Feli."

"Sure, I can do that! So you better make that delicious pizza of yours. Now, let me tell you about this embarrassing shit that Luddy did yesterday, it's hilarious."

Lovino listened to Gilbert's random story about a cheese grater and smiled to himself. He didn't know how he could have possibly fell in love with this man who found humor in the most random situations. However, he did love him. He loved Gilbert and that insane personality of his. He loved his eyes, his hair, and his smile. Everything that was part of Gilbert, even the flaws, were something more for him to cherish. Perhaps things wouldn't be so bad from now on, he hoped.


	11. The Plan

**A/N: Hi! There will be 1, maybe 2 more chapters after this one. Thanks to everyone who reviewed or are still reading this!**

* * *

><p>Whistling to himself and watching the cars go by on the street before him, Gilbert repeatedly checked his watch and made sure that his shoes were tied. Because, well, shoes should always stay tied. He reached up and ran a hand through his hair, which he made sure to wash perfectly earlier that morning. He almost wished that he had a mirror with him, to make sure that he didn't have anything on his face or in his teeth. Of course, he cleaned himself perfectly before going out, but there always seemed to be something missing.<p>

Basically, he was nervous. That much was obvious to see. He knew that he shouldn't have been worried about his looks, since he's the sexiest and most awesome person alive. And that's exactly what he kept telling himself. He was awesome, hot, gorgeous, and had more charm than anyone. Maybe it was normal to be a little nervous, but the way that he continued to tap his foot and look around at the crowd of people walking by, meant that he was more than just a little nervous.

"Nothing to worry about, this is perfectly normal. Just like old times, except I'm looking as sexy as ever. Too bad I don't have a mirror. No wonder chicks always carry around that little make-up kit thing."

Gilbert settled with talking to himself to avoid chewing on his fingernails or something worse. Narrowing his eyes, he looked around once more before spotting a familiar head of hair between the crowd. Soon enough, that familiar head revealed an even more familiar face and he unconsciously held his breath. He pretty much stood there with his mouth partly open, staring as he was approached.

"Hey, sorry that I'm late, some things came up. But, you shouldn't mind because of all the times that I had waited for you, right?"

Elizaveta chuckled and teasingly winked. As if his brain reacted for him, Gilbert laughed along with whatever she had said because he was almost too nervous to think straight. After all, it had been exactly one month since their break-up, and it was the first time that they were meeting up together. He'd spoken to her on the phone a few times about where to meet, and simple things such as seeing how each other was doing. It was amazing how strong their friendship was, since they were still able to speak to each other after all the drama. Most normal couples would probably never want to see one another again, or they would be clawing each other's throats out by then.

"It's alright, I didn't mind waiting. In fact, I just got here myself!" he replied, trying his best to give a normal grin. Even though they weren't trying to kill each other, he still felt very awkward to be face-to-face with his ex who he had cheated on. Accident or not, Elizaveta still didn't know who it was or why he'd done it. Gilbert was just thankful that she never asked.

"Well then, shall we go inside now? I'm pretty hungry, so just smelling the food from out here is luring me in!"

"Sure. Um, I'm starving, too." Gilbert nodded at Elizaveta's request and followed her behind as they entered through the double doors of the restaurant they were near.

He wondered to himself the entire time as they were seated. How would he keep the conversation going so that there wouldn't be any awkward silence? He had promised himself that this meeting would be very tranquil and orderly. He was going to be mature and cut the jokes to a minimum, in case things were supposed to be serious.

Of course, he knew how to be serious and orderly already! He had always been, during the important meetings at his job when they had to discuss the development of their current project. He knew all about keeping things on-topic and whatnot, but this was different. This was not a business meeting to discuss how to develop a video game. This was about his relationship status with Elizaveta, and how they would arrange their living situations.

"Do you know what you're getting yet, Gilbert?" she suddenly asked.

Gilbert looked up from his menu, which he hadn't really even been reading, and saw that their waitress was waiting for his order. He decided to choose a random dish that he often got whenever they used to visit that same restaurant together. Surprisingly, he even chose a glass of soda instead of beer! That had to be impressive, he just knew it.

"Are you alright? You're not sick, are you?" she asked, observing Gilbert's restless movement as his eyes continued to move around in all directions.

"What? Of course I am. I'm pretty awesome right now. What about you? You seem like you've got stuff going on."

"You know, even if I can't tell what you're thinking most of the time, I can easily tell when you're lying." Elizaveta sighed and rolled her eyes. "But, I do suppose that's how most men are about their feelings, huh? But, you should really loosen up!"

Well, she was right about that. If she wasn't a nervous wreck then there was no reason for him to be, either. It's not like he wanted to be nervous around her, but the everlasting guilt continued to fill his mind and he couldn't help wondering why she was even talking to him.

Gilbert fidgeted around with the little bottle of ketchup and tried his best to keep up a normal conversation while they awaited their meal. "Well, um, how've you been? I know we only talked a couple days ago, but whatever."

"I've been pretty great, to be honest. Lots of things have been going in my favor career-wise, too. Oh! And did you hear that Belle might be getting engaged soon?"

While he didn't really plan on listening to gossip, Gilbert supposed some random topic was better than nothing at all.

"What about you? I know you're staying with Ludwig now, how's that treating you?"

"Ach, don't even get me started on that. I mean, I guess it's pretty chill most of the time, except when he gets mad about me finishing the last beer. But, he seriously doesn't get any of my jokes! I swear I was given all of the funny genes in this family." Gilbert huffed and crossed his arms on his chest, thinking about the awesome prank he pulled the night before, which earned him many chores to do since he had made a disastrous mess.

"Well, that much is to be expected. After all, your so-called 'jokes' are usually just cruel antics and not funny at all."

"Hey! They are totally funny and you know it! That's why you can't help but laugh at them all the time."

"That's because I felt sorry for you! They're usually more annoying than anything else," she laughed, as Gilbert groaned in irritation. Though, he was glad to have actually made her laugh and perhaps this conversation was actually getting somewhere now.

"Anyways, don't drive him too crazy, he has enough to deal with as it is. So, what about Lovino?"

Gilbert raised his eyebrows at the mention of that certain someone and shrugged. Lovino had been a little weird around him for the past couple weeks, ever since he stopped staying in Lovino and Feliciano's home. It almost made him worried, but only almost, because he's too awesome to worry about random crap like that. Sometimes, however, he wished that he'd stayed with them just a bit longer. Being with Ludwig was alright and he was thankful that his brother let him stay there, but at least he got to see Lovino everyday before. He'd gotten so used to it, that not being around Lovino made him feel a little incomplete inside.

"Uh, I don't know. Lovino is Lovino, I guess. I don't care that he doesn't really call me as much anymore. And, I definitely don't care that when I call him, he hardly contributes to the conversation when he's busy."

Elizaveta giggled to herself at the sight of Gilbert pouting and his pale cheeks turning a shade of bright pink as he complained. His statements were obviously lies, and it was actually a bit adorable.

"I'm sure he has his reasons. But, you basically miss staying with him?"

"Yeah, as if! If anything, he misses me staying with him. I'm just that lovable."

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say," she giggled again, and smiled when their food finally arrived to their table.

Gilbert was about to dig into his Currywurst but then remembered about his goal to be orderly. Well, it wasn't as if he had been proper and all that junk when they were still dating, so he figured there wasn't any point in changing now. Still, the least he could do was not make a mess.

"So… what about you and 'Spec— I mean, Roderich?" he asked, nearly grunting from the sound of that foul name coming out of his mouth.

"Oh, well after I stayed with him for a short while, I went back home. However, Roderich's offered me to stay with him whenever I wish to, so I'm unsure of what I'll do for now."

Gilbert winced a little at the idea, but shrugged it off. It wasn't like he was jealous that Elizaveta was showing interest in someone else, but the fact that it was Roderich made him feel a little uneasy. He knew how strongly those two felt about each other, so he definitely wouldn't care if they decided to date one day. However, he wouldn't want to congratulate them, either.

"What are you laughing about?" she asked, pausing from sipping her drink when she noticed Gilbert silently chuckling to himself.

"Nothing, it's nothing."

"No, tell me! I want to laugh, too."

He thought for a second, and then smirked. "Ah, well it's just, you've always been this badass chick, you know? You don't take shit from anyone, and even though you act all lady-like now, you can still kick anyone's ass if you wanted to."

"Well, that's obviously true. But, I'm flattered you haven't forgotten who I truly am," she said, chuckling and going back to eating.

"Yeah… so, I just don't understand why haven't decapitated me yet."

She nearly choked on her food, finding that comment to be nothing short of hilarious. But, she soon went back to thinking seriously again.

"Hm… despite the fact that you're a big jerk most of the time and a lot of other unmentionable things, I guess you can say that I still care about you. I also find it hard to get so worked up over things now, it's just not worth it. And, while it would be easier to blame everything on you and say it's all your fault, it truly isn't. Well, not all of it. Besides, I'm not the type of girl to take the easy way out of things, now am I?"

"You sure aren't. Well… I don't know whether to say thank you or I'm sorry, maybe both."

"You can decide that later. Now, hurry up and finish your food! We still have to discuss what we came here to talk about."

* * *

><p>"This is boring, you promised that we'd do something fun if I hung out with you bastards for a little while."<p>

Lovino sighed impatiently and crossed his arms on his chest. He wasn't especially busy today, so he had accepted Antonio's invitation to go out for fruit smoothies. Though, his time was running out and all Francis continued to do was suggest stupid things or unnecessary ones. Sitting outside of the ice cream shop and drinking smoothies wasn't exactly fun, either.

"Relax, Lovi. We'll do something once Gil finally arrives. He texted me back saying that his lunch with Elizaveta went 'awesomely smooth' and so he's on his way here right now," Francis said, loudly slurping his drink.

"Yeah, but that was about twenty minutes ago now, he's fucking slow… not that I care if he even shows up." Lovino quickly added in that last statement so that it didn't seem as if he missed Gilbert's company. However, the faint blush on his cheeks told it all.

"It's okay to say that you miss him. I miss him, too. He's been so distant lately," Antonio said.

"I don't miss him, in fact I don't miss any of you when we don't hang out for a while."

"Ah, typical Lovino. The world's biggest liar, yet he lacks the ability to convince anyone." Francis only laughed and shook it head. He knew that it was impossible to argue against someone as stubborn as Lovino, so he didn't even try.

"I'm not lying! I seriously don't care… speak of the devil, here comes the bastard now."

With a wide grin on his face, Gilbert finally arrived and walked up to the outside table that the others were sitting at. As expected, he plopped down into a chair next to Lovino and even scooted it over so that they were closer to each other.

"Well, I'm amazed that you really came back alive. She didn't at least give you a hard slap across the face?"

"No, Francis. I already told you, we're cool again… well pretty much," Gilbert answered, then gazed around at the others who were happily drinking their frozen beverage. They looked delicious beyond belief, even if the weather was actually cool that day, he still wanted one.

"Those look good, let me taste one of yours," he asked.

Antonio gestured towards the entrance of the shop and shrugged. "You know, all you have to do is go buy one. I'm almost done with mine."

"I don't really want an entire cup, I just ate lunch. So, let me just get a sip!"

"Hell no, if you want any of it then get your own! That's what you get for being late, anyway." Lovino stuck his tongue out and then quickly slurped the rest of his smoothie before Gilbert could get any.

"What ever happened to 'sharing is caring' and all that junk? Like at the picnic?"

Francis quirked an eyebrow in wonder. "Hm? What picnic?"

"Nothing, he's just being an idiot as usual. Shut up, Gilbert."A hint of a blush appeared on Lovino's cheeks as he tried to forget about the banana pudding.

"I really don't appreciate being called anything but awesome. Oh, and sexy. You can call me sexy whenever your little heart wants to."

"Anyway, what did you and Lizzy decide on?" Antonio interrupted, when it looked as if Lovino would flip the table over.

"Ah, well, she says that she might move somewhere closer to where she works. She's been wanting to do that for a long time, but we could never agree on the decision." He sighed nonchalantly and then added, "From the looks of it, she'll probably move in with Roderich one of these days. They already act like a couple as it is, so it's only natural that they'd soon start dating and then, you know."

"That's not a bad speculation… does it bother you?" Francis asked.

"Of course not! I don't care what she does with'Specs anymore. However, I am going to miss that little house of ours… but, I'm still staying with Luddy for now."

"Well, this was a fun waste of time. And, I'd love to stay and chat with you fine gentlemen, but I have to get the fuck out of here now." With that sarcastic tone, Lovino stood up from the table and tossed his empty cup into a nearby garbage can.

"What? You're leaving already?"

Gilbert unexpectedly grabbed his wrist to keep him from walking off. Lovino looked down at the hand holding him, but didn't try to get loose. The childish pout on Gilbert's face was far too sweet to ignore, not that he cared, so he frowned slightly and nodded.

"Yes, I'm leaving already. I've been here for a while, actually. You were just late."

"Aw, Lovi, I thought you said that you weren't busy today?" Antonio asked, joining Gilbert in his irritating whining.

"I'm not, but I have to pick Feliciano up from class. He forgot to put air in the tires of his stupid car, so it has like two flats now."

"Can't he walk home and then you stay here?"

"No, Gilbert. As much as he annoys me, I'm not going to make my brother walk half-way across the damn city."

"I made Luddy do something similar to that a couple years ago!" Gilbert said, snickering.

"That's because you're a horrible older— actually… good job, serves the potato bastard right. Anyway, now stop distracting me!"

Gilbert lightly tugged on Lovino's arm and never let the pout leave his face. "I know my awesomeness is a distraction, but you're being unfair."

"How the hell am I being unfair? And… stop that. No. No, don't make that face. Stop, dammit."

"Hm? What face are you talking about? I'm just being my usual sexy self," he said, and poked his lip out further, slightly quivering it in hopes that Lovino would give in.

"Look… maybe we can hang out later, okay? Just not right now."

"Sounds like an awesome plan! Wait, do you promise?"

"Promise? Ugh, now you sound like a fucking child. I don't have to promise anything, and I said maybe so that means I'm unsure."

Lovino tried to look away as Gilbert began to bat those eyes up at him, but he failed to do so and this situation was beyond annoying now. Agreeing was his best bet, so he quickly nodded.

"Fine! I… promise, dammit. Once you stop being annoying, you can come over to our place later. Now, let my wrist go or I'll have no choice but to rip the skin off of your hand with my teeth."

Gilbert finally let go and smiled. "Sweet, it's a date. Maybe we should go see a movie or something."

"W-what? It's not a date! Now… bye!"

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><p>The other three waved him off as he left. A quiet, disappointed sigh came from Gilbert's lips as he fiddled with the unused napkins on the table. He paid no attention to the two pairs of eyes that were resting on him now.<p>

"I guess some people got bitten by the love-bug?" Antonio said, chuckling lightly.

"What?"

Francis rolled his eyes and smirked. "Oh come on, Gil. Don't act stupid, even Tonio can see it. There's so much sexual tension between you and Lovino, that even I can hardly stand it. I mean, I noticed something a couple months back, but now it's completely out in the open and it's almost suffocating."

"What the hell are you talking about? There's nothing going on between us, stop joking around… you know Lovi would have your head if he heard you say that." Gilbert laughed loudly and nervously, before averting his eyes elsewhere to avoid the curious glares.

"So, you don't like him, then?" Antonio asked.

"Of course I like him— Wait, what kind of 'like' are we speaking of here? Because, I like him in the same way that I like you guys!"

"Then, why don't you act the way you just did whenever Tonio and I have to leave suddenly?"

"That's obviously because I see you two way more often than I see Lovi. Yeah… that's exactly why. And, he's always been like our little brother ever since we were kids! Even though he's as big as us now. Nothing's going on, so shut up."

"Why can't you look us in the eyes and say that? Instead of looking everywhere else?"

Shit, Francis was right. Gilbert was looking up and down, left and right, even trying to gaze into outer space. His face was already insanely red and now the pressure was getting to him. He really wished that Francis and Antonio weren't his best friends at that moment. If they had been his enemies and were accusing him of such things, he would have knocked their teeth in. And then ran, of course, because two versus one isn't fair, even for someone as awesomely strong as he is.

"M-maybe… maybe I have those sort of feelings for Lovino. Just maybe I like him."

"Yeah. Maybe you like Lovi, and maybe Tonio likes tomatoes. And just maybe I really like attractive men and women."

"Fuck, alright. I don't need your sarcastic tone, 'Franny'. I like Lovino… I mean I really, really like him. Satisfied?"

Both Antonio and Francis could only stare in slight shock, before randomly starting to applaud.

"What the fuck? Stop clapping!" Gilbert groaned and wished he had wore his sweater instead, so that maybe he could hide his burning face.

"Out of the many things that you and Lovi have in common, the most visible aspect has to be your ability to look so cute when you're embarrassed!"

"Tonio, make him shut up. This shit is not funny."

"Sorry, Gilly. But, I agree with him. You actually look very cute right now that you have your face buried in your arms!"

Gilbert's embarrassed expression soon changed to a sad one as the other two began chatting about the situation as if he wasn't even there.

"Why do you guys care, anyway? I thought you'd disapprove… or something like that, I don't know."

"Why would we?" they both asked at the same time, ceasing their senseless chatter and returning their attention to him.

"Because, you know how it is when two friends become more than just… friends. And, if they're fighting or they break up, then that stupid shit makes it awkward for the rest of the friends in the group. Then everyone thinks they have to choose sides, and it's all a bunch of pointless drama."

Francis gasped and raised a hand. "So, let me get this straight, you're doubting yourself and your ability to keep a relationship intact? That's a new one. I've definitely never heard of Gilbert 'Awesome' Beilschmidt doubting himself in anything."

"Like hell I'm doubting myself! I'd never do such a thing, I'm not you."

"Regardless if you're doubting yourself or not, Gilly… we're your friends and we support you. I don't see anything wrong with you having a crush on Lovi. It's not breaking a 'friend code' or anything like that, it's just… being a normal person. Lots of people fall for their friends. And, I think that Lovino is a very caring and passionate person in his own way!" Antonio gave a reassuring smile and gently patted him on the shoulder.

"Oh, um… thanks, Toni. I guess you may be right about that. You know, you're a really good friend."

"So, when do you plan to seduce him?" Francis asked, completely ruining the moment.

"Woah, woah! Who said I was going to do that? It's not like I even need to seduce him, I'm so awesome that he'd probably be the one to chase after me! So, there's no need for that. I like him, but I'm not expecting anything."

Finding that a little hard to believe, Francis tried to elaborate that statement. "What does that mean? You're content with the way things are now, or you're saying that your feelings will die down someday and you'll forget this even happened?"

Gilbert quickly shook his head and frowned deeply at those ridiculous assumptions. "No, I didn't say that! I… these feelings I have for Lovino will never change. Ever. I know that for a fact. I mean, why else would I be saying this mushy shit right now that you only hear in stupid romance novels?"

Antonio tilted his head, very confused by that notion. "Then, why don't you want to make a move on him?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that I just broke up with my girlfriend only a month ago? Yeah, she and I were dating for two whole years. I'm not sure if you noticed or got the memo, I just thought I'd let you know."

"Okay, okay. No need to get sarcastic. But, I have to say, I feel so proud of you! Ah, I remember those college days… you used to say 'screw relationships, I can sleep with whomever I want to'! And now look, you're all grown up, taking your time and not wanting to make the same mistake again. It's good to learn from your experiences." Francis nearly had to wipe a tear from his eye as he scooted closer to Gilbert and pulled him into a tight hug.

Gilbert wiggled around in his grasp, groaning as Antonio joined in on the hug. "Come on, get off of me before I suffocate! And… that's because I'm even more mature and awesome than I was back then! I know, how can that be possible when I was already so perfect? But, it did happen. Anyway, don't talk to me about that stuff when you have a different partner every other month."

Francis huffed and finally let go, slightly offended. It wasn't his fault so many people craved his love! And, he wasn't the type to deny anyone of their wishes.

"Well excuse me for practicing free love. I can't help it if I'm searching for my soul mate!"

"Whatever you say, Francis! Anyway, just do whatever makes you feel most comfortable, Gilly. We'll be right behind you, and who knows, maybe Lovi feels the same way. You two just have so much in common, I'm sort of envious." Antonio gave Gilbert one last friendly hug before resting his elbows on the table and sighing. It must've been nice to have someone to relate to.

"You really think so? I mean, I know I'm awesome and all… and Lovi's pretty fucking awesome, too."

"I agree. And, you both lie about how you truly feel because you think it's embarrassing to tell the truth. You two also complain about how your little brothers annoy you, yet you both rely on them for a lot of things, particularly you, Gil. You also hide your insecurities very poorly. You each have different ways of taking your frustrations out on people, and you're both afraid of being left behind—"

"Okay, Frenchie! I didn't ask you to list our similarities, and half of those aren't even true," Gilbert said, puffing out his cheeks and grumbling.

"See, you even called me 'Frenchie' just like Lovi does when he's irritated, and now your cheeks are puffy and cute like his!"

Gilbert supposed it was 'game over' then, since he now had no control over his bright red face and the feeling of a million butterflies in his stomach. Just thinking about Lovino after this awkward but relieving conversation made his body want to melt. All of these feelings that he hadn't acknowledged in so long were a tad overwhelming, even for him. It became even worse when he imagined actually confessing to Lovino, the only person who could make his heart skip a beat even if he wasn't there physically.

"Whatever, I don't really care anymore… and Toni, would you stop poking my cheeks now?"

Seeing the irritated glare in Gilbert's eyes, Antonio ceased harassing those cheeks that reminded him so much of Lovino, it was almost scary.

"Don't worry, Gil. It's just like Tonio said, you'll be fine! Since you're not an expert on love like I am, just take your time. Things will work themselves out in your favor sooner or later, I believe so."

After receiving many more pats on the shoulder and a thumbs up, Gilbert nodded and his lips curved into that usual mischievous grin.

"Yeah, I hope so."

* * *

><p>Lovino grabbed his wallet from inside of the drawer in his bedroom and shoved it into his pocket. After making sure his hair was as perfect as usual, he winked to himself in the mirror and made his way down the stairs. Of course, Feliciano was at the bottom of these steps, sadly peering up at him as if those puppy eyes would work. However, Lovino had already told himself that he wouldn't give into those eyes.<p>

"Huh? Where's my cell phone? I left it right here on the coffee table."

"If I tell you where it is, will you let me come with you?" Feliciano asked, smiling as wide as he could.

"So you know where it is? Hm, how about you tell me before I push you so that only your head is in the closet, and then slam the door on your neck?"

Feliciano gasped and shook his head, actually a little terrified. "You wouldn't!"

"Oh I wouldn't? Try me."

He definitely didn't want to try anything any time soon, so he revealed the phone from behind his back and handed it to Lovino. He also made sure he wasn't so close, in case Lovino's patience had already run out.

"Why can't I go with you guys?" he whined.

"Because, I'm hanging out with my friends, just like you always hang out with your bastard 'college buddies'. So you're not coming."

"They're my friends, too. Besides, when I offer you to come with me and my other friends to fun places, you say no."

Lovino groaned irritably and began walking towards the door, figuring this conversation couldn't get any stupider.

"That's because I don't know your friends… not that I even want to! Anyway, we'll be back soon so shut your mouth until then, alright? Maybe… just maybe I'll bring you something back. I still don't know where we're going, though, so don't expect anything good." Lovino quickly grabbed his long black sweater out of the closet and waved as he opened the front door.

"Okay then, have fun!" Feliciano called out.

It had only been two days since Lovino last saw them before he had to leave early because of Feliciano. But, he was still a bit excited to hang out with Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert again. Going to the movies with Gilbert that day was more fun than he had imagined. It was actually sort of like a date, except for the presence of Feliciano. That was probably the one time that Lovino wished Feliciano had been at Ludwig's place, that way he could have been alone with Gilbert.

Once Lovino had reached their meeting spot, he nearly smiled when he saw Gilbert standing there waiting. When their eyes met, he could feel a sudden blush coming on, but he soon distracted when he took notice of two certain main details missing.

"Where are those other two bastards? Are we early? I was sure this was the time," he said, approaching Gilbert and standing before him.

"Uh, well… they aren't coming."

"What? Why the hell not?" Lovino's tone was already angry, as he grumbled curse words under his breath.

"Francis called me earlier, saying that he was very sick. Then, he said that Toni was taking care of him since he couldn't get out of bed, or some shit like that."

"Francis? Sick? That's unusual… although, Tonio taking care of him isn't. Wow, what a couple of losers!"

"Yeah… seriously unawesome."

Though, Gilbert knew that had been a complete lie. There were too many coincidences, besides the fact that Francis almost never got sick. He knew what those two were really trying to do, and it nearly pissed him off. If it weren't for Lovino's overall attractiveness standing in front of him, then he probably would have gone to Francis's house to smack him around. After all, that's what the bastard deserved for purposely ditching them and tricking Antonio into doing it, too. All of this, just so Lovino and Gilbert would have some 'alone time' and seem as if they were on an actual date.

"So, where are we going? I was never told anything." Lovino impatiently tapped his foot and waited for an answer. So far, things weren't going well. But, that was only because the fact that he would be alone with Gilbert hadn't reached his mind yet.

"Toni came by Luddy's apartment last night and gave me a couple of tickets. I'm not sure what they're used for, but he told me the address so let's go, yea?"

"Alright, but this place better have some fucking food. I'm starving."

Gilbert laughed and wrapped his arm around Lovino's shoulder as they began walking. "You read my mind, Lovi!"

"Targets have begun to make their way to the desired location. Let's get a move on."

"You mean Gilly and Lovi?"

"No, Tonio. You have to refer to them as targets! I thought we already went over this," Francis grumbled, setting down the binoculars that he had previously used to spy on Gilbert and Lovino. He and Antonio were only a few yards away from them behind a bush, so they waited until the other two had gotten a certain distance before stealthily following behind.

"I don't get it. You said we'd ditch so that they can get some time alone… you never told me that we'd stalk them."

"I know, but isn't it much more fun like this? See, this way we don't have to wait until their little date is over. We'll get a front row seat!" Francis mischievously rubbed his hands together and chuckled as he made sure to keep a nice distance from the two ahead of them. This was probably his best plan for entertainment yet!

"But, it just doesn't feel right. Stalking them, I mean. It's bad enough that we lied to them, so I think that we should give them some privacy." Antonio continued to nervously pester, as it seemed his every warning was getting ignored by the excited blonde man to his left.

"This isn't stalking, this is supervising. We're here to help Gilly win over that Italian volcano who is always ready to erupt.

"Hm… so, how are we helping him by watching?"

"Well… if he screws something up, we'll be right there to cheer him back up and give him support, just like we said that we would!"

"Alright, if you say so. I do hope it goes well, though!"

* * *

><p>When they approached the place of which the address belonged to, both Lovino and Gilbert stared in disbelief and their jaws nearly dropped.<p>

"This… is the place that we were all going to go to?" he asked, turning to Gilbert with a questioning glare. He hoped like hell that it was just the wrong address.

"Uh, yeah… I obviously didn't forget the address. He even wrote it down a this little paper," Gilbert answered, retrieving the paper from his pocket, which Lovino instantly snatched from him.

"God dammit, you're right. But… an aquarium? Really? What does he think we are, children? I haven't been here since middle school!"

Obviously just as disappointed about this as Lovino was, Gilbert shrugged and scratched his head, before getting an idea.

"Well, if you don't want to be here, we could exchange the tickets and keep the money or—"

"Are you kidding? I mean, we're already here, so… so we might as well go in and laugh at how childish and lame it is! Not that doing so is fun, but it's better than not doing anything at all." Lovino turned away to hide his blush, silently mumbling to himself. Even though the location was shitty, he really didn't want to separate from Gilbert.

"Hell yeah! We can laugh at all the weird-looking fish and watch as stupid parents fail to control their children. Let's go!" Practically cheering now, Gilbert grabbed Lovino's hand and ran inside of the huge building.

"Targets have entered the building. Time to scout behind them and scan the area."

"Francis, do you think that you can stop talking like that? I barely understand what you're saying. I didn't even know that you liked spy movies."

I really picked a bad partner this time, Francis thought to himself as he once again hid the binoculars in his pocket. He then turned around and sympathetically put a hand to Antonio's shoulder, shaking his head.

"Tonio… my dear, sweet Spaniard. Haven't you ever heard of role-playing?" he asked.

"Of course, but I don't see how that relates—"

"I've had many partners who had a thing for role-playing in bed. It's like their kink. I'm neutral about the subject, but it's very fun once you get used to it! That is where I learned my spying skills. You should try it sometime, it may be useful in more ways than foreplay. Now, we can't lose them, so hurry up!"

Since he really didn't have a choice, Antonio quickly followed behind as they entered the same building and turned in their tickets. Unfortunately, there were quite a lot of people visiting since it was the weekend, so they had to search around for a short while until they finally spotted Lovino and Gilbert again.

"We don't want to seem suspicious, so we'll have to blend in with the crowd," Francis said, casually leaning against a wall as many people walked by.

"How do we blend in if most of the people here are small children and single mothers?"

"You're right about that— Oh? Single mothers you say? Ah, well then it's my lucky day… no, no this is not the time. We'll have to focus on those two for now, I'll use my handsome charms later."

"I guess this is not as bad as I thought… I didn't know that they had completely remodeled this place. Everything looks pretty interesting now. I mean, for a stupid aquarium," Lovino admitted, gently tapping a finger against a tank with seahorses inside of it.

"Hey, don't tap on the glass. They can hear that, you know. It is kind of awesome in here, though. There's so many different colorful fishes and even things that I've never seen before! I still say that the stingrays are the best, though."

Lovino smiled to himself for a short moment at how excited Gilbert seemed now. At least one of them was having a good time. In fact, they both were, but Lovino refused to admit to himself that a few mere sea creatures were interesting to him. The only animals he found interesting were farm animals, and that was because he could eat them.

"Look at these ones, Lovi. Puffer fish! They get almost as puffy as your red cheeks," Gilbert said, then laughed obnoxiously and avoided Lovino's evil glare.

"Yeah? Well, once we find the creepy-looking fish, then I'm going to get you back!"

Antonio fiddled with a rubber band he'd found on the floor, as he and Francis ducked behind the corner to continue their spying. Well, Francis was doing all of the watching, while he busied himself with anything that he could find.

"What are they doing now?" he asked, peeking around the corner. However, every time he did so, Francis urged him to stand back and stay in cover.

"Gilbert's using his cheeks to imitate the Puffer fish… Lovino looks a little amused… basically, they're making no progress at all. Gilbert hasn't even touched him since they entered the building! I'm starting to wonder if he's purposely keeping his distance."

"Maybe he doesn't want to ruin anything? I don't know, but can we go now? I feel like having something delicious!"

Francis simply shook his head and continued to stare into the binoculars. "Not yet. Be patient, my darling sidekick… in fact, I have a plan!"

Antonio watched as Francis grabbed the rubber band from his hand and turned back around. He entangled it around a couple of his fingers in a strange way, and then aimed towards Gilbert and Lovino's direction.

"Ow! What the fuck was that?" Lovino groaned, when the rubber band hit him in the cheek. Luckily for Francis, it bounced off and landed somewhere unknown so that Lovino wouldn't know someone had intentionally struck him.

"Francis! Why did you do that to Lovi? I'm going to go see if he's alright."

"No, Tonio! Stand here and watch, it's starting now," he warned, holding his arm in front of the slightly angry Spaniard.

"What happened? Your left cheek is suddenly so red." Gilbert looked very worried as he gently placed a hand on Lovino's cheek and used his thumb to slowly rub the skin. It wasn't bleeding or anything, but the mark was even more red than when Lovino got angry.

"It's fine… something suddenly hit me, that's all." Lovino's face heated up at a miraculous rate as Gilbert continued to examine his cheek. The stinging pain seemed to have vanished and was now replaced with all sorts of embarrassing feelings.

"Yeah, you'll be fine. Do you want to go check out the bigger fishes and then go outside afterwards? We've seen all the other sections, and we've been here for a little over an hour now."

Lovino nodded, albeit a little sadly. "Sure… are you bored now or something?"

"Not at all, this was actually pretty fun! And it was also fun teasing you by saying that you looked like all of those different fishes. But, my stomach is killing me now. I need some food!"

"Oh, same here. This place doesn't really have food, though… do you want to get a churro from one of the snack stands outside by the fountain? We can go somewhere else to get real food afterwards."

"Sounds like an awesome plan."

"Ah! They're coming this way, duck behind something quickly!" Francis scurried behind a big plant and turned his head, glad that he was at least wearing sunglasses and a hat. Antonio stayed in the same spot, but went completely unnoticed since there were many people walking by in that wide hallway.

"Looks like they're going outside. Time to follow."

"Francis, isn't this enough? I'm still angry at you for flicking Lovi with a rubber band, and I'm extremely hungry now." Antonio pouted and refused to go any further, wishing he could've been at home right then, becoming one with his homemade salsa.

"I promise that I'll get you a churro after this. Now, be a good boy, our mission is almost done."

Unfortunately, there weren't as many people outside as there were inside, so they had to take cover in a bush on the other side of the churro stand. The smell of that sugary, sweet treat was mouth-watering and they were glad when Gilbert and Lovino finally got their turn in line.

"Not much activity from the targets… Gilbert bought a really, really long churro. What a glutton… oh, wait! They're sharing it, this is good progress!" Francis whispered, peeking through the leaves of the bushes as the two 'love birds' slowly began to devour the warm churro.

"Ah… that looks so delicious… you're buying me one that size!"

"Sure, sure. Look at Gilly now, what's he… oh, he's wiping the cinnamon from Lovi's cheek! Smooth one! Good boy, I taught him well. Oh, but Lovi doesn't seem to appreciate it. He's extremely flustered now, isn't he?"

"Francis, I think this is starting to turn into a private moment, so maybe we shouldn't—"

"Don't talk, just look! What are they doing? Is that what I think it is… Gilly's suddenly very close to him, but I think they're really kissing!"

As if forgetting about his previous warning, Antonio gave up the whole 'privacy' thing and nearly pushed Francis out of the way to get a better look. And just as he'd said, Gilbert's face seemed to be very close to Lovino's, and his hands were also resting on the Italian's shoulders.

"Wow, I didn't think they'd get to this part so quickly. Ah, I'm so happy for them!" Antonio exclaimed, pulling his head back from between the leaves to finally give them some privacy.

"Gilbert… w-what the h-hell are you doing?" Lovino stuttered, when he found his face extremely close to Gilbert's and a hand on each of his shoulders. All he knew was that Gilbert had suddenly stopped talking, and then leaned in as close as possible. However, he stopped right before their lips met and stood there, staring into Lovino's eyes.

"Shhh, we're being watched, just go along with it," he finally whispered, then used his eyes to scan the nearby bushes.

"Being watched? What are you… huh?"

Just as he had suddenly leaned in closely, Lovino found soon that Gilbert's face was suddenly so far from his again. He was still insanely confused, but Gilbert then took his hand and began to lead him somewhere.

"I'll have to admit, Gil must have a little bit of game if he got Lovi to kiss him so early. But, what will happen afterwards?" Francis quickly peeked back into the bushes to find that they were gone. They were no longer in front of the fountain anymore, and he couldn't see them by the trees on the other side, either.

"Where did they go?" Antonio asked.

"I have no idea— wait, if there wasn't any yelling, then that must've meant that Lovino enjoyed the kiss. And, if they aren't there anymore, then… they must've left to go 'enjoy' each other's company!"

"N-no way! Lovi wouldn't do that, well I don't think he would… no, he wouldn't! Not that fast!"

"Where else could they have gone? Ah, this is so exciting! I'll have to ask him to tell me all about it. Despite what's been said, I still believe Lovi's a virgin. That would explain why he gets so flustered whenever we talk about sex! He probably lied about those couple adventurous times in college, when he said he slept with those girls."

"Why the fuck are you guys here, talking about my damn sex life?"

Francis and Antonio nearly jumped when they heard Lovino's terribly angry voice scratching in their ears. They hesitantly turned around from the bush and looked up as both Lovino and Gilbert stood over them. Gilbert looked annoyed and disappointed, whereas Lovino looked confused and as if he'd surely rip their throats out.

"Oops, looks like we've been caught," Antonio said, chuckling as if it had all been a game.

"Hey, lovelies! I'm not sick anymore, so we decided to surprise—"

"Cut the bullshit. Why are you guys here in the bushes, spying on us and talking about my fucking sex life? Answer. Now!"

Antonio scratched his head and shrugged. "Francis said it would be a good idea. Ah, I'm sorry Gilly, Lovi."

"What's wrong with you? You actually look a little sick," Gilbert said.

"I haven't eaten all day, and since we've been following you around. Francis said he'd get me a big churro, but he has yet to do that."

"Ah… Lovi, here." Gilbert reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple dollars, then shoved them into Lovino's hands. "Can you go get him a churro?"

"What? Why? The sneaky bastard can go get it himself!"

"Just do it, please?"

Lovino narrowed his eyes at the three of them, then stomped off to do as he was told.

"Look, guys. Remember what I said the other day? I'm not trying to rush into another relationship!"

"I know, Gil. We were just trying to help you out a bit. Really, we meant no harm by it," Francis said, a little surprised by the anger in Gilbert's eyes.

"Someone as awesome as me doesn't need help with this kind of stuff. But, we were actually kind of looking forward to hanging out with you guys today. You know, just the four of us, as best friends and nothing more?"

"I'm really sorry, Gilly. Even though Francis dragged me into it, I guess I did contribute to the spying a little bit. But, things went well, right? Didn't you kiss?"

Gilbert snorted and shook his head. "Nope, I just made it seem like we did, because I knew you guys were watching. In fact, I took notice that you were following us some time ago, but I had to make sure. After all, I am the master at spying!"

"Aw, and I was so sure that we were hidden… ah, well. I'm sorry too, Gil. We won't interfere in your dead love life again," Francis said, standing up from the grass and brushing his pants off.

"It's not dead! But… you guys don't have to be completely sorry. I mean, I had lots of fun on this little outing."

"Why shouldn't they be completely sorry? And, what were you bastards talking about?" Lovino asked, as he suddenly reappeared with the churro and practically tossed it into Antonio's hungry hands.

"Nothing at all! Now, a group hug as an apology!"

Francis quickly pulled everyone into a tight embrace, ignoring Lovino's muffled curses as he tried to pull away from them.

"What the fuck is wrong with you guys? First randomly appearing here after you said that you wouldn't, then talking about unnecessary things, now weird hugs?"

Gilbert laughed and swiftly grabbed Lovino's hand again, this time holding it into his own. "Don't question it, Lovi. Now, we're all going out to lunch together and Francis is paying so let's get the hell out of here!"

"What? I'm paying? I mean… of course, this is my treat to everyone!" Francis yelled, trying to hold in his tears as he brought out the wallet from his pocket.

"Thanks, Francis! That's so kind of you, this churro was great but I'm still pretty hungry." Antonio quickly followed after them as they began walking, wondering what he'd choose to eat, which would probably take a heavy blow to Francis's wallet.

Lovino stared at their linked hands but did as he was told again, and decided not to question anything. "W-whatever, but it better be a nice restaurant with even nicer food, or else we're eating Francis."


	12. You & Me

**A/N: Update! I'm working hard to get my writing muse back. I hope this is okay! Enjoy~**

* * *

><p>"Fuck, this doesn't make any damn sense!"<p>

Lovino tossed the short pile of papers onto the desk and slouched in his chair, pretty much giving up. It wasn't his fault the expenses weren't matching up, even though he was sure he'd done the math correctly. The bank had been a bitch lately, and along with his other job, everything was stressing him out. He knew that he shouldn't have let it, but no matter what he did, nothing worked without a hassle.

"I'll just take a break. A short one is all that I need, then I'll be able to focus on this piece of shit."

Yeah, breaks always helped, no matter what the problem was. Even though these short little breaks usually turned into long and peaceful siestas, this time would be different! Maybe he'd get a nice glass of red wine and brainstorm as he sipped it down. For whatever reason, that instantly calmed him.

Maybe he'd also make dinner. His stomach was growling, and no one could think on an empty stomach. That new soap opera would also be premiering tonight, not that he cared. Even so, he could check it out just to make fun of it. Yeah, that's always the best thing to do. Maybe he'd snuggle up to the couch alone with a tub of ice cream or something.

"Anything is better than sitting in here, wanting to kill someone or something."

With a short sigh, he arose from the desk chair and stretched his exhausted limbs. One thing he could look forward to, was not having work the next day. That didn't excuse him from tonight's little problem, though. Tomorrow he wanted to relax the entire time without worrying about rushing his paperwork that should've been done sooner.

Once Lovino had exited through the door of his little office, he instantly felt more at ease. Being in that stuffy room was hell. However, he also heard the sound of the television in the living room and a certain familiar, yet annoying laughter.

"What the hell? You're still here? I thought you'd left earlier when I said that I was too busy for you, asshole."

Gilbert ceased his laughter and turned his head around, where he had been sprawled out on the couch. It's not that Lovino minded that he'd been there all along, since he really liked the man's company. But, he was just so frustrated and really didn't feel like being teased or annoyed at the moment. Those two things were obviously Gilbert's specialty.

"Well, if it isn't the wicked witch of the west. I told you that I would hang around for awhile, but you ditched me and shut yourself in that little room. Come watch this movie with me! It's the least you could do for ignoring your guest."

Lovino snorted, this idiot sure was delusional. "You're not a fucking guest because I never asked for one. You 'dropped by' on your own. But… I'm taking a bit of a break, so I'll do whatever I want."

In the blink of an eye, Lovino found himself sitting next to Gilbert on the couch, watching some odd movie that clearly made no sense at all. However, the guy next to him found it to be hilarious, so maybe it was worth something. If you were an idiot, that is.

"This would be perfect if we had some popcorn," Gilbert stated. He sighed quietly and looked at the unamused Italian to his right.

"If you want some, then go make it."

"Never mind."

Yup. That was Gilbert, alright. If he had to do something himself, then chances are that it wouldn't get done at all. Sometimes, he was just that much of a lazy potato. Lovino found it ironic, how Gilbert usually relied on others to do such small and simple tasks that he could do himself. However, when it came to very difficult, responsible tasks that no one else would take, Gilbert would be the first to sacrifice himself. It was odd, but that's just the way he was.

"I find it ironic," he began, "That even though you live with your stupid brother now, you still come over here at least once a week. And a lot of those times, you spend the night. It's as if you left for nothing, and just wanted to live in more than one place at a time."

"And? What's wrong with that? I enjoy visiting you and Feli, especially when Francis and Antonio are busy."

"I never said that there was anything wrong with it. It's just kind of… weird, and unexpected."

"How so? It's only been, like, a month since I left here and went to go live with Ludwig!"

"Idiot, it's been four months. Well, nearly. Three and a half, to be precise."

Gilbert quickly turned his attention from the movie and stared at Lovino in shock. "Woah, seriously? So… why is it weird and unexpected, though?"

"Yes, seriously. You lose track of time too much. And… it's weird because I don't understand why you come here in the first place. I mean, if you look around for once, you'd see that there is nothing here that you like. Our interests are far different than yours, so there wouldn't be many reasons to visit, unless you like being bored or some shit."

"Why I like coming here?" Gilbert tilted his head in thought, before quickly shrugging. "Well, because of you. You're here. Isn't that a good enough reason?"

Yes, that was a perfect reason, and it made Lovino's insides suddenly feel so light and warm . But, it wasn't what he had expected to hear! Thus, he kind of just sat there as he fumbled to find the words, without sounding embarrassed or anything. That would've sucked.

"W-well… whatever, I don't care what the fuck you do. Go back to watching your shitty movie."

"Hey now, this is your movie! And, it's not so bad. It would've been better if I had made it, though." Gilbert gave a lazy chuckle as he yawned and situated himself differently to get more comfortable. And by that, he turned to his side and lied down, resting his lower body on the empty half of the couch and placed his head in Lovino's lap.

"Feliciano bought this movie from who knows where. I'm surprised it doesn't have tentacle monsters and magical unicorns or some shit, he really sucks at picking out—… Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

Lovino furrowed his brows as he looked down to find a fuzzy head in his lap and a face smiling up at him. This bastard was crazy, but Lovino somehow had to fight the small urge to smile back. If Gilbert's head weren't so warm and kind of cozy, he wouldn't pushed the idiot's head from his lap and met it with a fist, instead.

"Since… when did my fucking lap become a pillow for you, bastard?" he asked, when Gilbert simply returned his attention to the horrible movie.

"Hm? You've never complained about it before."

"It's not as if you do it all the time… and I have complained! You always say that you're 'so tired' and then you use me as some sort of comfortable pillow. And you refuse to move away, which causes me to do this until you do."

Lovino suddenly grabbed onto Gilbert's nose and gave it a slightly tight pinch before wiggling it.

"H-hey! Cut that out, you know that my nose is very sensitive. You'll make it go all red and stuff!"

It didn't help that now Lovino was laughing at him, but it was to be expected. Still, he didn't remove his head from the man's lap and surprisingly, Lovino said nothing of it after that. In fact, Gilbert soon felt a warm hand in his hair, only slightly caressing it. He knew that Lovino's face was probably heated up from embarrassment, but he pretended to hardly notice the hand so that Lovino wouldn't end up yelling again.

Everyone around them knew just how much they liked each other, and wished that the two love birds would just get together already instead of bullshitting around. Although Lovino and Gilbert were seemingly oblivious to each other's feelings, there was no doubt that they already acted like a couple most of the time. Well, only when they were alone. Otherwise, they'd tease and argue back and forth, just as much as they did with anyone else.

"Hey, don't go falling asleep on me," Lovino mumbled, when he noticed that Gilbert's eyes had been shut for some time now, instead of watching the movie.

"I'm not, I'm not…"

"Then what do you call that?"

"Resting my awesome eyes."

"Sure you are. Whatever."

Well, it couldn't be helped if Gilbert fell asleep on his lap, not that Lovino would mind. It was actually kind of cute. Or, one of the most adorable things ever, but he wouldn't admit that even after his death. He continued to lightly mess around in that fuzzy white hair, absent-mindedly. After another long while, he groaned in irritation.

"What's wrong?" Gilbert immediately asked, although Lovino was sure the guy had already fallen asleep. He assumed that Lovino was tired of having his head in his lap, so he sat up.

"It wasn't that! I mean, I'm just fucking starving, is all."

Lovino crossed his arms on his chest as he remembered that he'd planned to make something to eat soon. He was also disappointed not to have that warm head in his lap, but he figured it was ridiculous and unnecessary to care about that, so he quickly shrugged it off.

"Same here. Why don't we make dinner now?"

"What the fuck do you mean by 'we'? So you plan to eat here as well? Hmph, freeloader."

"Fine, if you want to eat dinner alone on a Friday night all by yourself, then be my guest. I'm not sure how you could possibly find it fun to be alone in this big house."

"Shut up, I never said that you had to leave or something… Look, I'll make dinner for us on my own. I'm no good at working together with people when my stomach is fucking growling. I'll only end up pissing us both off, so leave it to me. You can set the table when I'm almost finished. Deal?"

Gilbert smiled and leaned back, trying to get comfortable again. "Okay! I hope you've got beer, by the way."

"You know that we do. You never shut the fuck up about it whenever you visit."

Lovino quickly rose from the couch and exited the living room, making his way into the kitchen. He was surprised that another lonely Friday night at home while most of the people he knew were out partying, getting laid, or leaving town for the weekend, would probably actually be fun. While he didn't care what others did, it was nice to know that he had someone to hang out with, at least.

"Oh my fucking god."

"What is it?" Gilbert asked from inside of the living room, once he'd heard Lovino's swears and angry grumbling.

"There aren't any ingredients to cook with, that's what!" He slammed the refrigerator door shut and stood there, pissed off anyway.

Gilbert emerged in the kitchen soon afterwards, desperately resisting the urge to laugh at the twisted expression on Lovino's face of fury.

"That dumb fucking brother of mine, was supposed to do the shopping this morning! It was his turn! I swear, if he ditched or 'forgot' because of his ugly ass boyfriend, then I'm going to jail for committing mass murder."

"Just calm down, Lovi. I mean, this really sucks ass and it is probably Feli's fault, but… we could always go grocery shopping right now. That's always fun to do with you."

"But, then it would take even longer. We'd have to drive to the store, pick out every last fucking ingredient except for the spices, since that's the only thing we _do _have… then we'd have to come back and make it! That could take forever, and I'm not even in the mood to cook anymore."

"I've got an idea, then! We'll go out to eat, at a restaurant. Hopefully it won't take them too long to bring us our food once we order. The sooner we leave from here, the sooner we'll be able to eat!"

Well, that wasn't a bad idea at all. Perhaps it would be nice to get out of the house that evening, and sit at a nice restaurant instead. Lovino really liked eating out, but he was frugal so he only did things such as buying coffee at small cafes or getting ice cream from the many shops during the summertime.

"That doesn't sound so bad. But, where would we go? Most places are probably packed today, especially right now since it's nearly dark outside. Everyone wants to have a fun Friday night."

"We could go to… that one place with the fancy lights and it looks like a nightclub, but it's not! There's still music playing and a dance floor, though. But it's mainly a restaurant or something. You know the place, right?"

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about. But, no. Friday nights there are the nights for couples, which means they only accept couples because everything has a specialty for… couples. It's annoying and stupid, but people like that shit, somehow."

Gilbert quickly waved a hand as if it didn't matter. "Who cares, we'll just have to pretend to be a couple! I've always wanted to go there, it's kind of fancy but not too classy where everyone is wearing a suit or something."

"Pretend to be a couple?" Lovino wasn't sure if he liked that idea, or even what it meant. "That's impossible and a waste of time, we'd never be able to pull it off. No offense."

"And what do you mean by that? I'm sensing a challenge here."

"I'm just saying that when it comes to being responsible boyfriend, you're not exactly the perfect example."

"Who even said that we'd have to act lovey-dovey? If we say that we're a couple, they'll let us in. No fucking questions asked. They won't deny a customer's money."

"Even if we had to act that way, you wouldn't be able to pull it off. That's for sure," Lovino scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Oh, the fiery determination in Gilbert's eyes. And Lovino was only adding sparks to the flames.

"So this _is_ a challenge! And you don't think that I can be a good boyfriend, do you? I'll have you know that I can do anything I wanted to, which includes having manners and being romantic!"

"Stop making a big deal out of it. But, I highly doubt what you say is true."

"Wanna bet? We'll see who can be the better boyfriend, by seeing who can make each other blush more! I know I'll win, because you get flustered by the simplest of things. All I'd have to do is call you handsome or some shit, and you'll be swooning away."

"I do not, fucker! Fine, I'll accept this stupid little game of yours. But, only because I'm starving and need entertainment, and a fool like you would be perfect for the job. Now go get your shoes on and stuff, we're leaving as soon as possible."

"Alright!" Feeling confident, Gilbert began to dash out of the kitchen before stopping and adding, "Oh! And, Lovino?"

"What now?"

"You should wear that new jacket you bought recently. It looks amazing on you, but then again, everything does."

"What…" A deep blush began to form all across Lovino's face before he quickly shook his head. The game must've started, then. "Compliments, huh? It'll take much more than that, but of course I look amazing. I never fail to catch the eyes of dozens when I walk down the street."

This would no doubt be very interesting. Lovino wasn't taking it as seriously as Gilbert was, nowhere near as serious. However, he was eager to see just what the albino would do.

* * *

><p>"So, uh… what the hell are we so-called betting on, anyway?" he asked, as he sped down the street. His driving was nearly as reckless as Feliciano's, but Gilbert was used to it by then.<p>

"I've decided that the winner gets to make the loser do whatever they want! Which means you will have to give me whatever I ask for. If I asked at all, since you'll be forced to comply anyways."

"Why do you get to decide what the 'reward' will be, and what makes you so sure that you'll win?"

"It's called being myself, and I never lose. Now, get us there safely and at the speed of light!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

Lovino furrowed his brows and pretended to be irritated, as Gilbert turned on the radio and began singing whatever the hell song they were listening to. As many times as he had told Gilbert not to touch anything in his car besides the seat, that guy never listened. Lovino didn't really mind, though. Even though Gilbert's singing voice wasn't the most pleasant sound to hear in the world, it made Lovino happy to be the one next to him.

When they had finally arrived at their destination, Lovino was appalled by the amount of people there. At least the line didn't spread all the way outside. When they got in, they would probably be seated within a couple of minutes. Nonetheless, he hated crowded places more than most other things in life.

"Still want to eat here? We could always go some place else, say, somewhere that isn't completely shitty?" Lovino suggested. He was only one step closer to turning around and getting back into the car, with or without the albino.

"This place isn't shitty at all! It's amazing, and you know it."

"Yeah, but the bill won't be 'amazing'."

"We'll split it, half and half. Or, I can pay the bill this time. I am an awesome boyfriend, after all. So it's my treat!"

"No way am I letting you win this stupid challenge! We'll split it, so let's just get inside, it's nearly freezing out here."

As he was about to step into the doors, Lovino literally froze when he felt a warm hand grab his own. By the time he looked down, their fingers were already intertwined and his face was heating up by the second. He dared to look up again, and into the face that made his heart jump nearly every time. Gilbert was only smiling faintly, as he then opened the door with his free hand.

"We're a couple, aren't we?"

"Yeah, yeah… whatever."

By the time they were seated and had ordered their food, Lovino was already fed up and wanted to go home. The excessive amount of rave lights on the dance floor were giving him a headache, even though he was in the restaurant area. Who cares if this was a place for young "hip" people to hang out at, it was noisy and crowded beyond belief.

"We're dancing after this," Gilbert announced, as he downed the rest of his red wine.

"What? Hell no, I don't want to dance. You can't make me."

"Fine, you don't have to dance. It'll just prove how much of a bad boyfriend you are for not having a good time with your boyfriend. And then I'll win the bet and make you do all sorts of funny things—"

"Alright! Sheesh, you're horrible. Maybe we'll dance, just maybe… but only if a slow song comes on. I don't know how to dance to this type of music. It's stupid." Lovino crossed his arms on his chest with a sigh.

Even if this was a pretend date, he'd much rather have spent it somewhere quiet and peaceful. Somewhere desolate so that he would be alone with Gilbert. Maybe then he wouldn't mind being openly romantic. But only then.

"Oh… well, there's a surprise," Gilbert said, looking towards the entrance.

Lovino looked up to see what Gilbert was speaking of, and saw that the man was looking somewhere behind him. He turned his head around to catch a glimpse of the mysterious sight, only to see Elizaveta and Roderich exiting through the front doors.

"What the hell? They were here? I thought that the aristocrat bastard was fancy or some shit like that. I doubt that he'd want to come to this place for a date."

"Well, he is, but he's also frugal unless the occasion is very important. A place like this is definitely Liz's choice, though."

Lovino turned his attention back to the one sitting in front of him, and tried to read Gilbert's expression. He didn't look upset, or jealous. Just a little distant. Being so close to him all of the time, Lovino knew that Gilbert was over Elizaveta. Long over. But, he still felt a bit weird inside of himself, for some reason. Perhaps that feeling was normal though, from seeing the one he loved, think about their ex.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" he finally asked.

"What? Oh, no way, of course not. I actually talked to her recently. Sometimes they hang out and go on little dates, but they aren't together. Not yet, that is. She likes him, though, so I hope the best for them."

Who knew Gilbert could be so calm and mature about these things? Lovino found himself practically in awe, as he knew that he himself would probably have sulked for the rest of the night if he ran into his ex and enemy on their date. Not that Lovino even had an ex, though. Still, his admiration levels for Gilbert had just risen a great amount.

"What are you staring at?" Gilbert asked, with a tilt of the head. It was kind of weird how Lovino had just been staring at him for a while now, but he really didn't mind.

"Nothing! Um… look! Our food is here, and it's about damn time."

It was amusing how Lovino began to stuff his face out of embarrassment, but Gilbert didn't hesitant to follow along as he ate his own food and chatted at the same time.

"I thought that you said we were splitting the bill," Lovino grumbled, a slight pout on his lips. Gilbert's excessive kindness tonight was kind of strange, although it was also sweet. Challenge or not, Lovino wasn't really sure how to react, since they usually teased each other or bad mouthed something that they both hated, whenever they were together. Now, it was just so… peaceful.

"Don't even worry about it, now come on! We're dancing!"

"What? I said no earlier, you persistent idiot!"

"That's too fucking bad, it's a slow song now! Also, you said _maybe._"

Before he could resist any further, Gilbert had grabbed him by the hand and snatched him up from his seat. Lovino found himself soaring onto the dance floor, which wasn't as crowded now. The silly multiple colors from the rave lights had ceased, and was now a dark shade of blue. The sound of slow, smooth jazz filled Lovino's ears and put him at ease. However, his heart began to thump at a ridiculous rate when Gilbert suddenly pulled him close, and they began to dance.

"This is stupid…"

"Shut up, you know that you like it."

The lazy grumbling sound that came from Lovino's throat meant that he had given up resisting. Gilbert couldn't help but chuckle to himself, as he held the other man to him as closely as possible. He knew that technically, this wasn't a real date. Even so, he just felt so happy, even more than usual. He wanted it to be casual, but still fun. Nothing too routine or forced, because neither of them liked that. Therefore, he would just have to improvise.

"I'm leading, because you suck at this," Lovino mumbled. He suddenly twirled Gilbert around and pulled him back close to his body with a sudden jerk, as he began to lead their dancing. No one could match up to his Italian skills, no matter how much he claimed to dislike dancing in public.

"I don't suck at anything! But, that's fine with me. I like it when you're in control, anyway."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Gilbert chuckled, and leaned just a bit closer.

Lovino had to stop himself from yelping with surprise, when that damn albino suddenly rested his chin on his shoulder. He then had the nerve to nuzzle into Lovino's neck! His grip unconsciously tightened around Gilbert's waist, and he deeply inhaled to calm himself.

We're just dancing, there's nothing to be so fucking nervous about, Lovino repeatedly told himself in his mind. So what if he could slightly feel the man's silent breathing against his neck? He also felt as if their hearts were beating in rhythm with each other. It was beyond lovely, with the peaceful music playing in the background. Great, and now he was probably blushing like crazy. At least it was rather dark.

"Lovino."

Gilbert's voice practically bounced against the flesh on Lovino's neck, sending a wave of shivers up his spine and back down.

"Um… yeah?"

It was silent for a moment, and Lovino's mind was aching with curiosity as to what the man had to say to him. Suddenly, Gilbert straightened back up so that he could face Lovino properly. Those crimson jewels gazed straight into Lovino's hazel eyes, and just like that, he was paralyzed. He couldn't move even if he wanted to. That was when the music stopped.

"Ah, the slow song is over… let's go!"

"Wait, what?"

Much more confused than ever before, Lovino found himself being dragged outside once again. Whatever that odd moment was when they simply stared into each other's eyes, was over. He didn't know if he should have felt disappointed that he didn't get to hear what Gilbert was going to say next, or relieved. But, was he going to say anything at all? What if he had planned to _do _something instead?

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?"<p>

"Going to the car, of course. What else would I be doing? You're the one who dragged me out of there. So, we're going home now, right?" Lovino asked, but Gilbert quickly shook his head and began to pull him further away from the vehicle.

"You're going to walk me home! Luddy's place is not far from here."

"What? Why the hell would I do that? I thought we were going back to my place! Like hell I'm going over to the bastard's stupid apartment."

"Oh, come on! It's only, like, around the corner from here! Not too far at all, and my brother is currently out with your brother, remember?"

After lots of consideration and more pleading that was getting very annoying, Lovino finally agreed to walk the weird bastard home so that he'd shut up.

"Ah! It's fucking freezing out here! Why is it so cold?" Gilbert whined, rubbing his hands together and blowing warm air on them.

"Maybe because it's still winter? Idiot, you should have worn gloves."

Pulling a warm pair of gloves out of his pocket, Lovino began to put them on to satisfy his need for warmth. But, before he could, Gilbert continued to whine.

"Fine! You can use one glove, but I'm wearing the other. Fuck, you can be as annoying as Feliciano sometimes," Lovino grumbled, as he shoved the glove at Gilbert.

"Well hey, it worked. And, I have an idea of how we can keep both of our hands warm!"

Although he should have expected it, he didn't. Lovino once again froze when Gilbert linked their bare hands together. An efficient method of keeping warm, actually made Lovino's blood boil. He hoped that his hand wouldn't start sweating, that would've been weird.

At last, they approached the apartment and Lovino discreetly let that warm hand go. The cool breeze instantly shot his fingers with piercing coldness, almost causing him to shiver. He ignored it, and thought of a proper way to say goodbye. He didn't want the night to end, but it's not as if he had a choice, either.

"Well? Aren't you coming in?"

Lovino gave him a questioning glare before shrugging and following Gilbert into the small studio apartment. In truth, he had never been inside of the place before, and never planned to. Well, obviously, because it belongs to the macho bastard. He only entered because he didn't want Gilbert to start whining again, or drag him inside without his approval. However, he was dreadfully nervous. Not only because he had never been inside, but because the two of them would be alone. He didn't ask why Gilbert wanted him to come in, though.

"It's so… dull."

Lovino looked around the living room of this mysterious place, completely unimpressed. Everything was so plain and white. A few grey things here and there, and a black couch. The TV was also black, and looked spotless. Everything was spotless, in fact. It was as if the most boring person had just moved in there the day before. Not a single thing was out of order.

"Yeah, well, he likes it like this. You should see my room, it's incredibly fucking awesome. Lots of color, too."

"No, thanks. There's probably garbage everywhere."

"Not garbage, they're collector's items! Whatever, just sit on the couch, if you want."

Deciding not to say another word on the stupid subject, Lovino sighed and plopped down onto the spotless couch. It felt so odd, being in a place that he'd never been in before. He wanted to go home, but then again, he didn't. That didn't make much sense, but most things in his life didn't.

"Want a beer?"

"No, and I wouldn't be able to drive back home if I did. Now, mind telling me what the hell I'm even doing here?"

"Oh, right. And, you're obviously here because I won our bet! So now you must give me anything that I want."

Gilbert joined Lovino on the couch with a wide smirk on his face, as he seated himself rather close. Perhaps a little too close, but Lovino only scowled at that ridiculous statement.

"Who the hell decided that? That's cheating!"

"It's obvious that I won, though! I mean, I held your hand. It was my idea to do that. So was the dancing, and walking home together. If you ask me, that's a perfect example of what a boyfriend would do! All you did was go along with it, or resist."

"Shut up, that's not _all _that I did. I… suggested sharing the gloves! Yeah, and it was so generous of me to share with a dumb fucker like you."

"Wow, you're so generous! You should win the key to the city!" Gilbert gave a sarcastic applause before adding, "So, you've only got one point. I still win."

"If you're really going to be an immature brat about it, then fine. What the hell do I have to do for you? That is, what do you want?"

If it was something stupid, then all Lovino had to do was refuse to do it and leave. But, he knew that it would probably be something simple like being forced to buy the bastard a large pack of beer or something.

"Hm… a kiss."

"I knew it— wait, what?" Lovino quickly turned his head, staring into those mischievous eyes.

"A kiss. You have to give me a real kiss."

Lovino didn't know whether to laugh or be concerned at that fail joke. Even though he thought he should start laughing along with the idiot right now, Gilbert's expression was serious, and he couldn't help but shake a little.

"But… why?"

"Why not?" Gilbert countered.

"Why the hell w-would you want a kiss?"

"Why the hell wouldn't I?"

Although Gilbert was only joking, he wanted to see what Lovino would do. He enjoyed making the Italian frantic like this, and he loved making the man flustered just as much. It was mainly hilarious because Lovino was actually falling for it! Usually, he dismissed these jokes as a waste of his time, and sometimes smacked Gilbert upside the head. But, this time he had gone silent in thought, for some reason.

"Don't worry, Lovino! I was just—"

Before he could tell the other that he was joking, a pair of tan hands found their way into Gilbert's fuzzy head of hair, forcefully pulling him forward and crashing his lips into Lovino's. He couldn't really register what was going on, all he knew was that his lips were slowly moving against the soft ones that he had greatly desired for so long now. Fuck, Lovino was actually kissing him! Before he could even get into the kiss, Lovino pulled away and stared down at their laps as he finally released Gilbert's hair.

"There… there's your fucking kiss."

For what seemed like years, the room was completely silent. Lovino waited for Gilbert to say something or else he'd explode, while Gilbert's mind seemed to have finally processed everything that was going on. And suddenly, laughter.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?" Lovino hissed, his cheeks flaming red as he was about to smack the man across the face.

"You, obviously!"

"W-well, stop fucking laughing before I use my fist to make you cry!"

Finally, Gilbert calmed his laughter and let out a content sigh.

"Calm down, geez. I'm sorry, it's just… well…"

Because words weren't that easy to find at the moment, it would be best to simply show Lovino instead. Without warning, Gilbert leaned forward and encased those lips in between his once again. It was a little more than a chaste peck, but much less than what Lovino had previously given him.

"What the hell was that for?" Lovino asked in a hushed tone, his eyes still wide in shock.

"What? Did you not like it?" The slight hurt from those words was easily seen on Gilbert's face, but he didn't back away. Not an inch.

"Whether I liked it or not isn't the problem!"

"Then what is the problem?"

"It's just… well, you and I—"

Lovino wasn't given anymore time to talk or even think of an accurate explanation, when Gilbert took the opportunity to seize his lips again. It was kind of annoying how he did it a second time without permission, but Lovino found himself actually leaning into the kiss as it gradually became rougher.

None of it was making sense at all. It didn't make sense how his hands had somehow found their way into Gilbert's hair again, gasping those platinum locks between his fingers and slightly tugging. It didn't make sense how his tongue had pried into Gilbert's mouth, invading those regions and exploring every bump and curve as if he was memorizing them. Not even the hungry groaning in his throat as he twirled his hot tongue around Gilbert's, made any sense.

Therefore, all of this had to be another fantasy. That was the only explanation that Lovino could find, that actually made a bit of goddamn sense. It was crazy, but it obviously wasn't the first time he had fantasized about such things, and thought that they were reality. While this fantasy seemed to be lasting longer than usual, his mind was no doubt playing tricks on him. Because, why the hell would Gilbert actually kiss him? They weren't even drunk, so there would be no reason to commit such acts.

Breathlessly panting from the previous kiss and getting lost in each other's eyes, Gilbert grinned a little as he twirled a finger in Lovino's silky hair.

"Fuck, I've always wanted to do that with you… for far too long now, I've wanted that."

"Then shut the hell up and do it again."

Oxygen? What the hell is that? Who cares, Lovino needed more kisses! This fantasy was too great, and he could definitely handle another make-out session. He very much enjoyed the feeling of Gilbert's warm hands slowly inching up his spine, on the inside of his shirt. Lovino's own hands did the same, soaring up to Gilbert's chest.

He began to place his kisses elsewhere on the albino's body, guiding his lips across the other man's jaw and moving down along his pale, thin neck. The soft moan that hailed from Gilbert's throat was far beyond pleasurable to Lovino's ears. However, it was ruined when his ears picked up the sound of keys unlocking the front door, and distant voices that grew louder when the door was opened.

"And so then, we— Oh! Gilly is back. And my brother is here, too? I didn't know that we were having a slumber party!"

"Oh, um, hey Feli! I didn't know that you two would be back so soon." Gilbert sent a deadly glare towards Ludwig, as if his younger brother had ruined the most perfect occasion ever. And well, they did. If he and Feliciano hadn't walked in when they did, Lovino would have still been chomping on his neck! What a couple of cockblockers.

"Nope! No fucking slumber party here. We're going home, right now."

In the blink of an eye, Lovino had sprung up from the couch and was now practically dragging Feliciano back to the front door and away from the macho potato-loving bastard.

"Ah, goodnight, Lovino!" Gilbert called out from couch.

Lovino's hands were shaking as he opened the front door and muttered a goodnight, then he and his brother walked out of the apartment and made their way back to his car.

"So, what were you two doing? I hope that you weren't eating anything on the couch."

"It's a secret!" Gilbert chimed, leaning over the back of the couch, which is what Ludwig always told him not to do. However, the younger German didn't really notice this time. The mysterious happy expression on Gilbert's face was far too distracting.

"A… secret?"

"Yup! But, don't worry, I have a feeling that you will find out soon enough. In fact, everyone will! Er, if Lovino is up for that. If not then it's fine, I can wait until he's ready to spill the beans."

Gilbert was mostly happily chatting to himself now, as he stood up and went into his bedroom, deep within his own thoughts. Ludwig still had no idea what was going on, but if Gilbert was happy and his couch was still spotless, then whatever. He wasn't sure if he liked the sound of some secret that everyone would soon find out about, though.

* * *

><p>"Um… are you sure that you're okay?" Feliciano asked.<p>

He had been curiously watching as Lovino paced back and forth earlier that morning, and was now sitting in front of his empty coffee mug at the dining room table in a daze. However, it wasn't the good type of daze, because he looked miserable and confused. Feliciano was sure he even heard Lovino throw something against his bedroom wall the night before, sometime after they had arrived home. He didn't pay much attention, even though Lovino had retreated to his room as soon as they got there.

"What?" Lovino finally responded, but his eyes never left the mug.

"I asked if you were okay! You can tell me what's wrong, I won't judge you. I'll try to help!"

"What the fuck makes you think that something is wrong? And why are you so sure that it's something bad that I did? No one even asked for your help."

That snarl from Lovino's mouth hurt more than Feliciano thought it would. He was about to ask again or just start whimpering, when Lovino let out a loud sigh and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"I didn't mean it like that, so don't think about it too much… it's just, I don't know what I'm even doing anymore."

"Oh… well, that's easy! Ludwig told me once, that when I don't know what I'm doing, I just need to sit down and think about it! After a long while, it'll come to me. Then I will remember what I was doing in the first place."

"It's not that fucking simple. It's more than that… much more."

Feliciano rested a reassuring hand on top of his brother's, and smiled.

"Tell me about it?"

After a short moment of hesitation, Lovino nodded and took a deep breath.

"Last night, I kissed Gilbert."

"You did?" Feliciano's smile widened greatly, but before he could celebrate and squeeze Lovino to death, he noticed his brother's frown and sad tone of voice still remained. "Isn't that a good thing, though? Or was the kiss not as good as you wanted it to be?"

"That's not what it's about, dammit! And, it wasn't just a kiss… it was more like making-out on the stupid potato bastard's couch and feeling each other up, until you two walked in on us."

Lovino bit his bottom lip as he thought about it now. How far would they have gone, if Ludwig and Feliciano never came back that night and decided to sleep over at Kiku's? By now, he obviously knew that it was no fantasy. It was reality, and that was just an excuse because he was in denial about the fact that Gilbert would kiss him. Which could only mean that Gilbert has the same feelings that he does, right? But, that's impossible!

"I don't get it. Why aren't you happy about it? I know how much you like him!"

"Because, you idiot. Friends don't kiss friends. Not the way that we kissed each other. That's not how it works, and it shouldn't have happened."

"Why not just become more than friends? You two have so much in common! You're really making this harder for yourself, Lovino."

"More than friends? If it were that fucking simple, I would have done that by now! But, I can't. Because I—"

Lovino found himself choking on his own words, as he desperately tried to swallow the knot in his throat. The hug that Feliciano offered to him wouldn't help a single thing, either. He knew the reason that he couldn't be with Gilbert. He wouldn't say it aloud, but he knew it. And it stung. It pierced his chest mercilessly, but dealing with it was all that he could do.

"Ah! Your cell phone is ringing."

"Get the fuck off of me so that I can answer it, then."

"But, you were about to cry! So I had to hug you! Will you be alright now?"

"Yes, I will! Now get off!"

What an annoying little— Lovino's thoughts froze when he saw the caller ID. Great, Gilbert _would _be the one to call him now, of all times. These sorts of coincidences needed to stop, because Lovino was sure he'd have a heart attack one of these days if he was caught off guard again. Now the question was, to answer? Or not to answer? Only if it was important, Gilbert would call him. Otherwise, it would simply be a text message. He supposed that he had no choice, then. Taking a deep breath, Lovino answered the phone and held it up to his ear.

"Hey, Lovi! You there? Hello?" Gilbert spoke first, without waiting for any answers. Lovino could easily hear the excitement in his voice.

"Yeah… what is it? What do you want?"

"God, you sound awful. Are you sick or something? Please tell me you aren't, that would ruin everything!"

Seeing as Feliciano was practically glaring at him the entire time, Lovino rolled his eyes and quickly moved into another room for more privacy.

"No, I'm not fucking sick. And… ruin what?"

"Good! Because, I wanted to ask you something."

This conversation was taking longer than Lovino had wanted. He hoped that Gilbert would blurt out whatever the hell he had to say, so that they could be done with it. It was awkward enough that they had nearly sucked each other's lungs out the night before, and now they were having another casual conversation as if it had never happened. Sure, they talked to each other just about everyday, but he hadn't expected Gilbert to contact him so soon.

With a small sigh, he answered. "What did you want to ask me, Gilbert?"

"Well… I had a lot of fun last night. I mean, it was just one of the most amazing times with you that I have had in so long. It made me really happy, and well… I was wondering if you would like to go on another date sometime."

Earth to Lovino's mind, do you copy? No, his mind had failed at the mention of "last night" and took awhile to process all of that. He heard those two words, along with it being amazing, and the part about Gilbert being happy. But, another date? The one last night had only been a bet, though. That must've been it! The only reason Gilbert wasn't feeling awkward about them kissing the night before, was because he still saw it as apart of the challenge! Lovino was just stressing over nothing, he should've known that Gilbert thought this was all a game. And he wanted to play it again, but once was more than enough.

"Another challenge, huh? I'll have to pass on that."

"No! Not a challenge, silly. I meant that I want to go on a real date with you, perhaps next Friday. You know, where we go someplace as more than just friends… it doesn't have to be fancy or anything. It's awesome no matter where we go, because you and I are together and we're better than everyone else!"

Gilbert laughed to himself on the other side of the line, but Lovino had gone completely silent.

"No," he finally answered.

"No? Oh, are you busy on that night? Hm, I'm free Saturday. What about you?"

"That's not what I meant… no, as in I can't go on a date with you."

"But… why not?" All of the previous high spirits and joy in Gilbert's voice had fled away.

"Because! Isn't it obvious? You and I, we can't be together… not in that way. We just can't! Last night I… should have never kissed you. It was a mistake, and I couldn't help myself. None of this was supposed to happen and I just— well… I'm sorry. I can't go."

The last sound that Gilbert heard was the sound of Lovino hanging up. He had no idea what had just happened, and if he had even heard correctly. One thing he did know was that his heart suddenly ached so much, and he simply dropped the phone from where he sat on the couch. Lovino regretted kissing him last night? But, why? He was so sure that Lovino liked him back! He had been sure for weeks now. He picked up every little hint whenever they'd hung out together, and the small things that Lovino would say to him, and do for him whenever they were alone. He was so sure that Lovino returned his strong feelings. What the hell did this mean? It didn't make any sense. Not at all.

Ludwig walked into the living room and frowned at the empty bag of potato chips on the couch. Thankfully, there were no crumbs anywhere, as far as he could see. Even so, he had warned that disobedient brother of his not to eat on it! Sometimes he really did feel like the older sibling in their relationship.

"I thought I told you not to eat over… here. Um, are you alright?"

Very concerned with the dead expression on Gilbert's face that had looked so happy earlier that morning, Ludwig almost assumed that is brother had just been shot in the chest. The question simply slipped through Gilbert's ears, as he stared down at his lap. After a short moment, he bit his bottom lip which looked as if it would begin quivering.

"I… think I just got rejected."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Evil cliffhanger and unanswered questions galore! I'll try to update as soon as I can. Thanks for reading! Next chapter is the last~**


	13. Our Reality

**A/N: **It's finally updated _and _finished! I'm so sorry that it took awhile, I just really didn't know how to end this perfectly. But, thank you for everyone that has read this and supported me along the way! :D Your words have been so encouraging.

I hope you all enjoy this!

* * *

><p>Staring at his older brother, Ludwig couldn't piece together anything. He didn't know what Gilbert had meant, but it looked serious. If Gilbert was wearing such a melancholic expression on his face than it was definitely serious indeed.<p>

"Rejected? And what do you mean by that?" he finally asked.

He didn't know what that few seconds of delay meant, but finally Gilbert looked up at him and slowly shook his head.

"Ah, it's nothing."

Ludwig watched as Gilbert stood up from the couch and walked into the hallway to retreat to his bedroom.

"Hm… okay. Well, I'm making lunch soon, is there anything that you—"

The slam of that bedroom door must've meant that Gilbert wasn't hungry at all. Or, maybe he had just gotten into an argument with someone on the phone? He'd get over it soon when he recognized the delicious smell of the meal that Ludwig was cooking up. Food always knocked Gilbert out of his little moods that came randomly. Only this time, Ludwig was surprised when he didn't see his brother for the rest of the day. And he hardly saw him the days that came after that.

"Lovino? Is everything alright?" Feliciano questioned when he heard his brother slam the phone down.

He had been eavesdropping on his brother's conversation with Gilbert, but didn't manage to hear much. He was especially concerned when he heard Lovino practically yelling into the phone, a sudden slam, and sobbing that was barely audible. Well, if Lovino was crying then it really must've been bad! Feliciano slowly opened the door to the small office room and poked his head inside.

"Are you alright? What happened? Are you and Gilbert fighting?"

"Just… just go away, dammit." Lovino managed to calm his sobs for a moment to sputter out those words. He buried his head into his crossed arms on the desk, mumbling something to himself.

"But, what's wrong? I don't like to see you cry, brother! You can tell me what—"

"I said just get the fuck out! Go away!"

Well, perhaps Lovino would confide in him later. He always did. Feliciano slowly closed the door and went to go clean something to get his mind off of things. Then, he'd make a nice pot of pasta to cheer Lovino up! Surely that would help, because eating pasta while in distress never failed to bring his brother out of whatever mood he was in. While Feliciano was completely sure it would work, Lovino refused to eat anything when the time came. He only managed to force his brother to eat when Lovino's stomach made a rumbling sound of being starving. But he still hardly ate anything, and shut himself in that same room again.

"And so, that's what my brother has been doing this entire time… He works all day and night, even when he doesn't need to. He just gets extra work done, and falls asleep at his desk, sometimes on the couch. I'm really worried about him… and, Gilly has been acting strange as well?"

Feliciano looked over at Ludwig, who was also deep in thought about his brother's behavior. The two of them were walking in the park together and eating little scoops of ice cream, although it was still a bit chilly out. Spring would be there soon, thus winter needed to pack its bags and get out of town. Neither of them knew exactly what had happened between their brothers, but it was beyond serious now.

"Well, I suppose that is correct. Gilbert stays in his room most of the day, blasting music and ignoring my calls. He comes out when I'm at class, because whenever I return there are dishes in the sink and sometimes empty beer bottles on the table. He also leaves a mess in the bathroom, even though I always tell him not to leave the floor wet after he showers. It's bothersome, but I'm worried about him. You don't have any knowledge of what happened between them?"

Feliciano let out a sigh of frustration and shrugged. "On that day, I heard Lovino mention something about not being together with Gilly. He said that they couldn't, and that he didn't mean for things to happen. Also, that he was sorry… It doesn't make any sense! That was two weeks ago, I thought that they would've made up by now! That's why I stopped interfering."

Observing the way Feliciano dramatically flailed his arms in the air, Ludwig still couldn't piece everything together.

"So basically, Gilbert wanted your brother to do something, but he said that he couldn't. Lovino flips out, and Gilbert goes into depression. What were they arguing about, though? My brother hasn't said a word to me about it. He only reminds me to get more beer and food."

"Don't you know, Luddy? Those two are in love! It's so romantic, but also tragic… I'm sad for them."

Ludwig stopped in his tracks and sent a questioning glare towards Feliciano, who only smiled as he got distracted with his melting cone. How is it possible that Gilbert and Lovino were in love? Those two were always arguing or messing with each other! He didn't see how that was love, at all. They seemed more like friends who also hated each other sometimes, but stuck together out of boredom. Besides, Gilbert had never mentioned anything about it. But then again, his brother wasn't the type to gossip about his own feelings.

In fact, Gilbert never talked about his emotions at all, and neither did Ludwig. He supposed that was only called having a private life, but now his brother was hurting and he didn't know why. He was practically clueless, which made him feel like a bad sibling. Perhaps the two of them should sit down sometime and talk to each other about things like they used to when they were younger.

"Are you sure about that, Feli? I mean, what if it's something else?"

"Hm? I'm completely sure! I mean, that's why they kissed each other that night at your apartment. Well, more like making-out. And Lovino said that friends don't kiss friends, but he is afraid of becoming more than friends with Gilly! It's weird, but that's how he is."

Wait, they kissed each other? At his apartment? Yeah, Ludwig definitely needed to get more in touch with Gilbert. If he couldn't see that his older brother was in love with his boyfriend's older brother, then there was something wrong with their communication. The first thing he'd do when he got home was try and get Gilbert to open up! But, was that the right thing to do? And would it actually work? He wanted his brother to be happy, that's for sure.

"So then, what should we do? They won't talk to us, and I'm sure that they haven't been talking to each other, either. I don't want this to continue on forever."

Feliciano chomped on the rest of his cone and jumped up and down excitedly once he had gotten the perfect idea.

"I know! We'll ask the professionals for help!"

"The professionals?"

* * *

><p>Francis flipped his hair back over his shoulders and smiled into his little mirror, before putting it back into his pants pocket. He looked over to Antonio and gave him a thumbs up, signaling that the plan was now in motion. After knocking on the door in front of them, Ludwig answered within only a few seconds, nodding at each of them and stepping to the side so that they may enter.<p>

"Are you two sure that this will work? I mean, what if he doesn't want to talk?"

It was easy to see that Ludwig was a tad nervous, since he was now prying into his brother's personal life without the man's consent. However, Feliciano said that Antonio and Francis would be able to help, and Ludwig was tired of seeing his brother like this. He would do anything to knock him out of this dark depression.

"Of course it will, just leave it to us. Our Gilly will open up in no time, we just have to casually bring the subject up without forcing it onto him," Francis reassured him.

If those two mischievous friends had everything covered, then Ludwig would go right along with it. He waited until Antonio and Francis had situated themselves on the couch, before going into the hallway and knocking on Gilbert's door. Thankfully, no music was being blasted this time and Gilbert answered without completely ignoring the outside world.

"What is it? I'm kind of in the middle of work, and it's important that I'm not distracted. We're developing this new game of a genre that we've never even tried before, so this better be good."

Normally, Ludwig would have stated how it would be difficult to brainstorm and work without a proper meal, or something else to get Gilbert out of that dark room, but this time was strictly business. At least Gilbert didn't look bad, save for his messy hair and the dark marks under his eyes. Other than that, he actually looked presentable. Maybe he was getting over the depression and was now simply grouchy?

"You've got a couple of guests in the living room, so please come out and greet them."

"Guests? I didn't ask for any. Whoever they are, tell them to fuck off. I'm busy."

"It's Francis and Antonio."

The bored expression on Gilbert's face actually perked up a little. Even Ludwig, of all people, was surprised to see this sudden change in attitude, no matter how small it was.

"Really? Strange, I didn't invite them… but, alright. I'll be out in a minute, tell them to hold on!"

If Ludwig had known it would be that easy to get Gilbert out of his room, he would have invited Francis and Antonio over at least a week ago, when he noticed that something was seriously wrong. Within a couple of minutes, Gilbert joined the others in the living room with a fake smile on his face.

"Hey, guys! I guess it's been a while. What are you two doing here?"

Fake smile, fake happy tone of voice, was there anything real that Gilbert was throwing out there? If Antonio and Francis hadn't known him almost all of their lives, they would have easily fallen for this act. It was very convincing, even the dark marks under his eyes could be passed off as overworking or Gilbert's usual habit of gaming all night. However, they knew that he wasn't doing well at all. They hadn't heard from him in two weeks, and if what Ludwig and Feliciano told them was true, Gilbert was an emotional wreck.

"We came to see you, since you haven't talked to us in two weeks! What's up with that? We need to hang out and go for a few drinks!"

Antonio was the first to speak, as he got up from the couch and embraced Gilbert into a tight hug. That's what he usually did, so Gilbert didn't question it.

"I'll go clean the kitchen, and perhaps make a few snacks just in case you all want some."

In reality, Ludwig only wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation, and hiding away in the kitchen was the perfect way to do it.

"Yeah, well… I've been really busy, you know? Surely you guys know how that is!" Gilbert chuckled lightly, nervously scratching the back of his head as he plopped down into the chair near the couch.

"Strange, that's never stopped you from contacting us before. Maybe you just don't like hanging out with us anymore."

Francis was obviously joking, when he pouted his lips and continued to give Gilbert a guilt trip. Even though it was obvious, Gilbert was taking everything that they said serious. Had he really been anti-social in his room so much that he forgot what a joke was? It was kind of funny, but also pathetic.

"You guys are over thinking things. I really have been busy, and I still am, until you two came in here."

A part of Gilbert was glad that they were there for him, but he still wanted them to leave so that he could stop pretending and sulk again.

"We know, we know. You're so busy that it's painful… Lovino said the same thing. Geez, it seems as if you two have completely forgotten about us."

Jackpot. After Francis had mentioned Lovino, he and Antonio instantly took notice of the expression change on Gilbert's face and his sudden flinching. Pretty soon, Gilbert would finally show his true emotions and be open with everything. Well, hopefully he would.

"Are you two working on something together?" Antonio asked.

"No." Gilbert's reply was almost instant, as he tried mustering up a snarky grin. "We're not working on anything together. Not at all. We haven't even been together."

Such a fail cover up. And Gilbert could tell, from the way his two nosy friends glanced at each other. Should he tell them? But, it was embarrassing! Not to mention heart-wrenching. He wanted Lovino, Gilbert wanted that man so badly. Lovino didn't want him, though. If he did, then he wouldn't have rejected the damn invitation to get even closer to each other. Just the thought pierced Gilbert's chest, and if he continued to think on it, it would pierce his eyes and make them water.

"Did something happen between you two? You're usually together, so it's weird that—"

"No, Francis. Nothing happened between us. So just mind your own business, yeah?"

The intense atmosphere in the room wasn't something that could be easily ignored. Everyone knew that Gilbert was stubborn with his true feelings. Almost as stubborn as Lovino was. However, he was much easier to get through to. All they had to do was nudge him in the right direction and he'd spill the beans.

Francis shrugged, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "So sensitive. But, I've got an idea! What about the three of us go out to drink? We haven't done that in awhile, and we need to catch up."

"Now _that's _what I like to hear! I'm up for it, how about you, Toni? Of course you are! Let's get the hell out of here, then."

The sudden change in Gilbert's attitude told it all, if his horrible lying skills hadn't already. Going out drinking was his favorite activity to do with his two of his best friends! This would definitely take his mind off of the dreadful pain lingering up there. There was no doubt about it.

Or so he thought.

* * *

><p>"He <em>completely <em>rejected me, you know? And not even in a gentle way, no, he made it seem as if it was impossible for us to ever become more than friends! Do you know how that feels, guys? No, you don't."

Downing his sixth glass of beer, Gilbert was doing more than simply spilling the beans. That was how Francis and Antonio usually got him to talk about important things like this, when Gilbert refused to talk while sober. Now, as they sat at the bar and watched their albino friend drink his way towards certain misery, the two nearly felt as gloomy as he did.

"And you know what else? I was so sure that he liked me— positive and ready to take action. I mean, why wouldn't he like me? And I don't even mean that in an arrogant way. After all we've been through, and the way he looks at me… Whenever we're together, I just know everything that he's feeling because I feel it, too. But, he said no. Why? Because I'm unbearable, that's why."

"Gil, that's not true and you know it." Antonio had already given his friend many pats on the shoulder, but simple words and such wasn't working this time. Gilbert was really broken, and he and Francis felt useless.

"It is! There's no other explanation for it… Another beer!"

If he kept this up, pretty soon Gilbert would be lying on the bar floor, piss drunk and still as miserable than ever. He slowly began to sip out of his seventh beer now, as Francis grabbed Antonio by the arm and tugged him aside to speak privately.

"Alright. So you and I both know that Lovino _loves _Gilbert, right? Then, what the hell is going on? They're supposed to be together right now so that we can tease them." Francis groaned, scratching his head irritably. Usually it was fun to watch Gilbert get drunk, but that was only when he was celebrating something. Now, it was just pitiful.

"I don't know… If what Gilly says is true, then Lovino rejected him. But, why?" Antonio couldn't figure it out, either. Even when he stood in his thinking pose, nothing clear could come to mind. There was a reason for everything, though. And if they wanted to know that reason, they'd have to discover the cause.

"We'll have to ask Lovino, then. It won't be easy, but he'll tell us," Francis proposed.

"Oh! I'll go! I'm sure he'll open up to me quicker than he'll open up to you."

"Geez, thanks Toni. You go ahead and do that, I'll stay here with our depressed friend and drive him home before he passes out."

Francis returned to Gilbert's side to listen to his senseless rambling as Antonio bolted out of the door. Now he'd make his way to Lovino's home and find out the truth! He knew it was easier in his mind that it would really be. He'd probably even get kicked out, literally, if he simply asked why Lovino had rejected Gilbert's offer when it was so plain to see that they were into each other.

Antonio didn't know how he would do it, but he'd get Lovino to talk. His friends were counting on it! Surely there was a legitimate reason to his whole mess. Once everything was solved, they'd all hang out again just like old times. He really hoped so. Hope was all that he could do for now.

"Goddammit, Feli. Work faster, this is _your_ fucking project, not mine."

It seemed no matter how much Lovino scolded his brother, things weren't going any faster than he'd like for it to. Why was he even helping, anyway? He had work of his own to do! Well, he had finished it for the day already, but he could always start on tomorrow's work load. Oh, wait, he had finished that as well. Thus, Lovino knew that the only reason he was helping was that he had nothing else to do. He had worked without breaks, just to distract himself from the horrible pit in his stomach. It was agonizing, but there was nothing he could do about it except wait for it to go back to normal. Although he knew it wouldn't simply disappear. When you love someone and deliberately hurt them along with hurting yourself, you will _never _heal. Not by ignoring the horrid thoughts and the way his heart felt at the moment.

"I'm trying, I'm trying! The tape keeps sticking to my fingers," Feliciano whined, trying to remove the sticky tape from his hands. Somehow, it had also stuck to his pants, cheeks, and neck. He was like a child playing office supplies.

"Then try harder! I shouldn't even be helping you right now. You have friends, don't you? They should be here, not me."

"But, they have projects of their own to complete! You don't necessarily have to help me, you know. I told you that I could do it on my own, since it isn't due for some time… I'm still thankful you are helping, though."

"I know that, I'm just helping you because… You'll never get done if I don't! You always wait until the last minute to complete things if no one pushes you to do the work. Hell, you can't even use the tape correctly."

Lovino snatched the roll of tape from Feliciano's sticky hands, and applied it to the paper he'd just folded. God, doing things with his brother was so irritating, even if it was a good distraction. He didn't even know what they were making or what this art project was about, but he volunteered to help. For a moment, Lovino was so busy yelling at Feliciano that he forgot how miserable he was. All he needed to do was keep himself distracted, and everything would peachy soon!

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Feliciano sprung up from his seat so that he'd finally get a break from all work and yelling.

"I'll get it!" he chimed, running towards the door.

This was probably a devious plan for him to stop working on the stupid project, then he'd leave Lovino to do all the work! And since he needed a distraction, there's no doubt that Lovino would actually complete it, with or without his procrastinating brother there to help. If it was the potato fucker at the door, Lovino would definitely throw the stapler at his ugly face. That would ease some of his stress and just the thought made him smile.

"Hey, Lovino! What're you working on?"

Great. Just fucking great. Lovino instantly recognized that cheerful voice— he obviously should, since he heard it all the damn time. And when he looked up from his seat, he recognized that same bright smile that annoyed him to no end.

"What the hell are you doing here, Antonio?" He asked, quickly returning to the work. "Feli! Get your ass in here and finish helping."

Sighing, Feliciano put down the bread that he was about to use to make a delicious sandwich, and returned to the table. Sometimes, he sincerely thought that Lovino was more of a drill sergeant than Ludwig was. Though, he was used to being ordered about.

"I'm here to see you, of course. You haven't answered our calls in days, so Francis and I were worried."

"Well, you see me. I'm fine, so you can leave now. You know the way out."

'Harsh' wouldn't even begin to describe Lovino's tone.

"Aw, don't be so distant! I actually want to spend time with you, as well."

If the scissors weren't on the other side of the table, Lovino knew he would have picked them up and aimed for one of those bright green eyes that continued to stare down at him as if he was a rare animal at a zoo. He didn't want company, not from anyone. Yet, he knew that Antonio wouldn't leave without prying into his business. How bothersome.

"Fine! You can stay, but you're going to help us or get the fuck out now. So sit down and get to work."

Antonio did as he was told, still smiling faintly and looking at this huge mess spread all around the table. Supplies were scattered everywhere, along with paper of all colors; some already cut and folded into odd shapes he didn't recognize. Whatever the Italian brothers were working on, seemed important.

"Alright, so what do I have to do?" he asked.

"It's not too hard! Just take one of the papers and fold it like this," Feliciano said, demonstrating what he meant. Though, Lovino was doing a much better job at it. "Once you finish folding it again like this… Take a piece of tape and make it stick together like I did just now."

"Ah, that's pretty simple. How many do I have to make?"

"We've made around seventy. We need two hundred," Lovino announced, not once taking his eyes off his own work.

So maybe Antonio was in over his head now. This would take quite awhile, but he did accept the offer to help so there was no way he'd give up! They worked in silence for countless minutes, save for the few times Feliciano complained about his paper cuts and Lovino hissed at him to shut up. Antonio was lost in his own thoughts, trying to figure out how he'd bring up the subject that he needed to speak with Lovino about. The main reason he was even there.

Though, looking at Lovino now, he could tell that the other didn't want to talk about it. At least he could try, right? And that's exactly what he did.

"So, Lovi, what's up with you and Gilbert?"

The silence was shattered not when that question was asked, but when Lovino dropped both the scissors and the roll of tape in his hands, leaving the supplies clattering onto the hardwood floor. Even Feliciano stared at Antonio as if he had asked the most forbidden question in the world. Well, this was completely awkward.

"I-I mean, you two have been ignoring Francis and I. I figured that both of you were busy working on something together. But, we visited Gil and he was alone, so…"

Curse his words for not making any damn sense. Antonio really wasn't good at lying, especially when it came to sensitive subjects that would make Lovino explode in any moment. He tried to keep an innocent face as possible, despite being given the infamous death stare by the emotional Italian sitting across from him. Finally, Lovino simply shrugged and picked up the items he'd dropped.

"Nothing. I haven't spoken to him, either. We're not doing anything together so go ask someone else."

Feliciano looked as if he wanted to say something as well, but he kept his mouth shut and instead wiggled a little uncomfortably in his seat.

This conversation was dead before it even started. It was silent again for another five minutes, as Antonio couldn't think of any other idea. Maybe he'd just be blunt about it? Gilbert and Francis were always blunt and rarely considered others when they spoke about things. And, well, it worked! So, he would give it a shot and dodge in case Lovino threw those scissors at him.

"Lovino—"

"What now?" he interrupted, looking as irritated as ever.

"Ah… I just want to know something." Antonio smiled his best smile as an attempt to loosen the tension.

"Well? What is it?"

"Why did you reject Gilbert? I thought that you liked him."

Any second now, his face would be bashed in, Antonio knew it! However, that didn't happen. For some reason, it was completely silent again. That was worse than listening to Lovino's loud cursing and raging. In fact, Lovino didn't look angry at all. Antonio could instantly see that he looked… hurt, instead. Maybe he shouldn't have asked at all.

"Tonio, I don't think Lovino wants to talk about that right now—"

"Feli, go take a break. Let us… talk in private, okay?" Lovino ordered, which came as a shock to the other two. Nonetheless, Feliciano slowly stood up and exited the room.

"He told you, didn't he?" Lovino finally said, ceasing the repetitive paper folding that was keeping him from these annoying thoughts. But no matter what he did, they always returned.

"More or less… Lovi, I don't mean to pry, Francis doesn't, either. We're just worried about the two of you. And, we want to help."

"And who the fuck says I need your help, huh? I'm taking care of things on my own. In fact, nothing needs to be taken care of. Everything is perfect and normal and—"

"You really hurt him, you know. Not the type of hurt when there's no beer left in the fridge and he's thirsty. No, I mean he's _really _hurt, Lovino." Antonio didn't want to make Lovino the antagonist, but he had to make sure that he knew this wasn't a game of sorts. "Most people think that Gilbert can get over anything. I did, too. He's brash, brave, confident— all of those things. But, he's actually a really sensitive guy, and you know that. So do Francis and I."

"Is it… really that bad?" Lovino asked in a near whisper. He knew what he had done, and he knew he'd probably hurt Gilbert. Badly. But, he thought the guy would get over it within a few days! It wasn't as if he was in love with Lovino, right? That would be impossible. _Right?_

"We haven't seen him this upset since, well, I can't even remember. He's more upset now than he was when Gilbird got really sick, and it took us forever to find a veterinarian to help us. He wasn't even this upset when he and Lizzy broke up."

This really was bad. Not only did Lovino feel miserable, but now he felt so guilty that it nearly hurt to even move. He hadn't meant to hurt the man that he loved. Well, he _did _but not in this way! Whatever poor excuse me made up for himself, was pointless. The fact remained that he hurt the one that he wished he could bring happiness to.

"So, we just want to know why you said no. Up until then, we were all sure the two of you were close to becoming a cute couple. What happened?"

"Nothing happened," Lovino murmured. If he spoke any louder than that, the knot in his throat would tighten even more and then the evil tears would come.

"Lovino… If you don't tell me, then we can't help. Something happened, so what was it? Did Gilbert say something to you that made you change your mind? Or are you not ready for a relationship? You could always tell him that. He'd understand—"

"I said nothing happened, dammit!" Lovino yelled, his face so red with anger and guilt that it was nearly frightening. "Gilbert didn't do anything, okay? It wasn't him, it was me! All of it is my fault. I'm the one who hurt him, and I knew that if we kissed, then… But, I did it anyway because I couldn't help it! Even though I love him so much…"

None of what was being said, made any sense. Antonio tried to keep up, but couldn't. For a moment, it was as if Antonio wasn't even there anymore. Lovino just kept rambling under his breath to himself, cursing every now and then about how much he hated this. Whatever 'this' was.

"Then, why?" Antonio decided to ask, since his original question remained unanswered.

"Because I _don't _deserve him! Don't you see? I'm just a horrible person, and it's all my fault!"

"What are you talking about? You're not a horrible person, Lovino! What makes you say that?" Antonio quickly stood up and moved around the table to rub the hysterical Italian's trembling back. Now he was kind of regretting bringing up the sensitive subject in the first place, but Lovino looked like he really needed to get these things off his chest.

"You don't even know… just, go. Leave me alone," he sputtered out, quickly wiping his damp eyes and returning to the repetitive task of folding papers.

"But, Lovi, I need to help you—"

"Leave, I said. Please… Feli and I can finish these up. There aren't many left to do now, so go."

Now, Lovino suddenly looked like an emotionless robot who only knew how to tape things together and avoid the many emotions swarming around in his head. It nearly gave him a migraine, so he did his best not to think anymore. Just work. Feliciano warily returned into the room and resumed his own work, as well.

Not really knowing what else to say on the matter, Antonio decided it probably would be best to leave Lovino alone for the moment. That, or deal with a major break down that he couldn't handle alone. He turned to walk out, and paused at the doorway.

"Hey, Lovino? Whatever it is that you're upset about… I'm sure Gilbert will understand. The two of you never stay separated for long, so please try talking to him when you're ready? I can't force you to do it, but holding everything in won't work for long. And… You shouldn't let anything ruin the bond that you have together."

Lovino had paused to listen to the Spaniard's words of encouragement, and stayed silent until he heard the sound of the front door being closed. If Feliciano wasn't in the room, he would no doubt have broken down right there. But instead, he retreated to his bedroom once they had finished their tedious task, since he felt like he would faint in any given moment. He desperately needed to clear his head and figure out what he'd do, because ignoring his true feelings and avoiding the love of his life, just wasn't working at all.

* * *

><p>"What exactly does he expect me to do? I can't just suddenly fix everything!"<p>

Since there was no one around, Lovino continued to yell to himself. Staring up at the unchanging ceiling of his bedroom wasn't easing the stress one bit, and he knew that it wouldn't any time soon. God, he hated this. Why did Antonio think that simple words could just fix everything? There's no way that he'd be able to talk to Gilbert— he couldn't even imagine being in the same building as the man!

Lovino rolled over onto the other side of the bed and buried his face into the cold, empty pillow. Why there was another pillow, he had no idea. It's not as if anyone else would ever sleep there, anyway; besides the very few times that Feliciano snuck into his bed. But, the younger Italian hadn't done that in so many months, Lovino couldn't even remember the last time they had slept together. Wait— when was the last time that Feliciano had slept in their home _at all_? Great. Now Lovino had to think about the fact that not only was he losing Gilbert (if he hadn't lost him already), but Feliciano had been spending less and less time with him since the previous year.

"If you want to be with that fucking potato-loving cunt so badly, then why don't you just move in with him?" he grumbled into the pillow. Although, Lovino knew that he wouldn't last long if even his brother left him.

Every minute that went by was nearly torture. He wanted to just jump up from his bed and rush over to the bastard's place. He'd take Gilbert into his arms and attack those lips with his own until he couldn't breathe anymore. Then he'd make sure to apologize over and over again, confessing just how much he loved that albino idiot and everything else that he was feeling at that moment.

Lovino couldn't do that, though. Like he had told Antonio, he didn't deserve to be with Gilbert in such a way. Not after ruining his previous relationship with Elizaveta. He had done much more than simply sleep with Gilbert, that no one else knew about. Still, to completely cut off all interaction with him? That was madness!

Maybe, just maybe, the two of them could fix this together. They could go back to being best friends, and forget that it all happened. Gilbert would come to his senses and realize that he didn't like Lovino as more than just a friend; at least, Lovino hoped that he would. Hell, maybe Antonio was being overdramatic! Surely Gilbert wasn't _that _hurt about this entire fiasco. It was probably all just a misunderstanding. The two of them had been through so much more together, and along with Francis and Antonio, everything always ended up back to the way it was supposed to be. This time was no different!

"R-right! I just have to apologize and explain a bit to him, then he'll understand and things will be back to normal! Damn, why didn't I think of this before?"

Giving himself that push he needed, Lovino finally sat up and grabbed his cell phone. It was always easy to lock himself in denial and pretend that complex problems were as simple as he wished they were. By now, he could tell that it was past sunset since the shadows in his room had nearly disappeared and everything was much darker.

This little plan of his proved to be much more easier in his head than in reality. As he sat there on the edge of the mattress, his hands wouldn't stop shaking from the anticipation and nervousness that he felt. He knew that if he simply called Gilbert right now, his voice would stop working. Maybe he should just call Antonio or Francis first? They _did _offer to help him out, after all.

"No, no… I caused this, and I can fix it on my own, as well."

Though, it was nice to know that he had friends who were there for him. After he fixed everything, he'd definitely treat them all out to dinner! Well, _maybe. _First things first, he had to meet up with Gilbert and hope that he wasn't hated.

* * *

><p>If not for his annoying cell phone beeping continuously, Gilbert would have stayed asleep until the next morning. He couldn't reach it from where he was sprawled out on the bed in his pitch black bedroom, either. And now that he was fully awakened, he wanted to die. The throbbing pain in his head was ten times worse than the last hangover that he'd had. How the hell did he even make it back home and into his room in one piece?<p>

The last thing he remembered was Francis practically dragging him out of the bar and into the car. The next second, he was magically home and falling onto his bed. All of that happened about a handful of hours ago, but it felt like days since he had been conscious. Well, thank god Francis was such a good friend. Any other asshole would've just laughed and videotaped his miserable rambling until he passed out.

Gilbert attempted to sit up, and after the third try, he could've sworn that the world was moving around him. From the smell of it, Ludwig had probably made dinner some time ago and was now off cleaning something random or reading his 'serious' books. He couldn't tell where the hell Gilbird was, but chances are that he was asleep in his cage. The two of them _always _slept at the same time.

"Alright, alright, geez. What am I, the most wanted man on earth? Though, that wouldn't be wrong."

Even if he was in a sour mood, Gilbert still had to flaunt his ego. The ringing on his phone that went off every time he got a text message, finally stopped when he leaned toward the his dresser and grabbed it. Whoever was trying to reach him, sure was desperate.

"Eight new messages? Man, I really am the most wanted man on… wait, Lovino?" His eyes widened when he saw which contact had been spamming him. Just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming or reading it wrong since his vision was still a bit hazy, his rubbed his eyes and sat up straight.

Sure enough, it really was Lovino that was trying to talk to him. And for a moment, Gilbert's mind went blank. How should he feel about this? Happy? Or, maybe he should just throw the phone at the wall. Maybe even delete the messages and pretend that he didn't see them. But, that would be too cruel of him— even though Lovino didn't hesitate to be cruel to him a couple weeks before. The way that the mysterious Italian had rejected him, was far too painful to forget about. It made him angry, and for a moment, he really did want to throw the phone someplace else.

But, Gilbert's curiosity always won in these type of situations. Gulping nervously, he opened the first message with a subtle push of a button.

_Gil, I really need to see you.  
>It's urgent. Please come?<em>

— _Lovino_

"What's urgent?" he questioned. Before countless thoughts could enter his mind, he decided to open the second message he'd received.

_I have to see you, now. Right now.  
>Meet me at the hill— our hill.<br>Please?_

— _Lovino_

Each text message seemed to sound even more urgent than the last. At least, it did in Gilbert's mind. Whatever it was must've been an emergency! Lovino practically _never _used the word 'please'. Especially when he was talking to, well, everyone that wasn't a gorgeous woman. There wasn't even a single curse word in the texts! What if Lovino was in danger? Something drastic must've happened if he was desperately texting Gilbert, of all people. In the confusing and painful situation that they were in now, Gilbert had imagined that Lovino would never text him again.

There was only one way to find out what was going on. Smacking his cheeks a bit to knock him out of the daze he was still in, Gilbert hopped off of his bed and was glad that his clothing from earlier was still on. His anxiousness caused him to nearly trip when he sprang for the door, but nothing would stop him from seeing Lovino, not even the pit in his stomach that made him want to bury himself under the safe blankets on his bed.

"Oh, you're up? There's dinner in the oven, I made it about an hour ago," Ludwig said. Once he heard the sound of footsteps entering the living room, he looked up from his book (just as Gilbert had predicted) and was quite shocked to see a different expression on Gilbert's face. For the past couple of weeks, that expression had been gloomy or irritable. Now, it was full of determination.

"No time to eat. I have an emergency to attend to, so I'm going out!"

Ludwig watched in confusion as his brother shuffled around to put on his shoes and find a jacket that was actually his. He was happy that Gilbert wasn't moping around for once, but also kind of worried since he'd used the word 'emergency'.

"What emergency? And where are you going?"

"To the hill! I mean, cliff— whatever the hell it is. Lovino's waiting for me so I gotta go help him!"

"The cliff right outside of the city? And… Lovino? You two are speaking again? Gilbert, would you please take a moment to explain to me what it is that you're talking about—"

Slam!

Before Ludwig could ask anymore questions, Gilbert bolted out of the front door and slammed it close. Normally the younger German would have simply sighed at his brother's crazy behavior, but this time it was far too suspicious. He decided the best thing to do would be to ask the two people who understood Gilbert best.

* * *

><p>Pacing back and forth, Lovino contemplated whether he should just call Gilbert instead of spamming him with texts again. He had been waiting on the cliff for quite awhile now, and it was getting cold. At least he was alone, though. If it had been a Friday night, there would no doubt be teenagers up there, as well; driving up to that particular cliff at night was a very popular thing to do in the spring and summer, some would say it was the best place for a date.<p>

Standing behind the wooden rails on the edge, one could oversee nearly half of the city. Bright lights glowed below, and the sounds of distant cars could be heard. However, most of the busy city sounds were swallowed by the gusts of wind that carried a much different scent than the town. It was fresh, and actually helped to calm Lovino's nervousness a little.

Closing his eyes and sniffing in that familiar air gave him a strong sense of nostalgia. Along with Francis, Antonio and Gilbert, Lovino would sometimes visit this same cliff just to get away from anything that was bothering them at the time. For many years now, this little spot was their escape. Now that he thought about it, Lovino wished he had come up here these past two weeks that he'd been feeling like complete and utter shit. After tonight, perhaps he wouldn't even need to come back for a very long time. That is, if things went his way.

"Hey! Lovino!"

The voice that he had been longing to hear, made his heart stop. Lovino whirled around to see Gilbert racing towards him, yet it seemed as if it took forever for them to finally be standing right before each other. For a moment, no one said anything. Lovino just stared with his eyes widened, and Gilbert tried to catch his breath.

"A-are you alright? What happened? Why the hell were you up here, anyway?" Gilbert questioned, straightening himself up. Lovino didn't look hurt, but he looked as if he had seen a ghost or something.

"You really came… Uh, yeah! I'm fine, why wouldn't I be? And I'm here because I simply felt like coming here."

"But, you messaged me _eight times_. I thought that something really bad happened because of the way you made your texts sound! You mean to tell me that nothing's wrong at all? What the hell, Lovino."

Well, so far, nothing was going the way that Lovino had hoped it would. Gilbert almost sounded angry now, since he was worried beyond belief and had taken a taxi all the way out of the city. Then, he had to run all the way up the merciless hill without stopping until he reached the top and made his way to the cliff. What for, though? Lovino was fine, it seemed.

In truth, the Italian was desperately trying to figure out what to say next. Damn, and he had rehearsed this, too!

"It… It really was an emergency, dammit! I've made up my mind that I absolutely have to talk to you about… you know. No more avoiding the subject."

Lovino quickly turned back around to face the beautiful view and leaned against the railing, resting his palms on the sturdy wood. After a moment of silence, Gilbert joined him and stood by his side; not too closely, but not far enough so that it would seem awkward. However, the inevitable awkwardness had already sunken in.

"Talk? Talk about what?" Gilbert finally answered back once he could muster up the courage. "You know, if you wanted to talk, you could've called me. Phones were invented for a reason, right?"

Lovino wanted to yell at him for being a smartass in such a serious moment while he himself was trying not to falter, but that would only arise more problems. Instead, he took a deep breath and rolled his eyes before starting again.

"That's not what I fucking meant. This type of talking needs to be done in person, or it won't mean much… So just listen to what I have to say, alright?"

Since Gilbert went silent again, that must've meant that he was ready to listen. Now Lovino wondered if this whole thing was a good idea, after all. What if he said the wrong thing and Gilbert wouldn't forgive him? Or, what if Gilbert would forgive him, but would refuse to be his friend again? That might've been unlikely, since Gilbert _did _rush there when he thought that something was wrong.

"First off… I'm sorry. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding, which I'm sure it was, or maybe I simply overreacted. Either way, I'm apologizing for the things that I said on the phone. I probably really confused you, huh? Well, just forget about that. I didn't mean it. And I want to be friends again," he paused for a moment so that his words wouldn't fumble, before continuing, "because you're important to me."

For a moment, Lovino had thought that Gilbert wasn't even there anymore since it was so silent again. Not once had he looked to his side at the albino man as he spoke, because he was afraid of what he'd see. It was even frightening to imagine what Gilbert's facial expression looked like right then. Finally, the still body next to him let out a short sigh.

"You want me to just… 'forget about it'? Really, Lovino?"

In his mind, Gilbert had been trying to come up with a good response to this 'apology' that he was getting. At first, he had decided that maybe he would simply say it was nothing, and that Lovino didn't even have to apologize. Then he'd make some lame joke about the whole thing and they'd laugh, then return to the city together and forget this had ever happened. But, there's no way he could do that. Not now. He couldn't let his feelings get stepped on like that. He couldn't accept whatever half-assed excuse that Lovino was putting out. His heart had been broken, and he demanded to know why.

"I just don't understand. Why did it turn out like that? A simple 'I don't like you that way' would have sufficed. But, the things you said to me were really hurtful, Lovino. It doesn't make any sense, either, because I was so sure that you _did_ like me! But then… _that_ happened. I really don't get it."

Lovino wasn't sure of what reaction he'd get, but this definitely wasn't what he expected. He was forced to turn and face the other, and the confused yet frustrated look on Gilbert's face was painful to look at.

"Gilbert, look. I'm really sorry, alright? It's hard to explain, but I really didn't mean to hurt you. In fact, I'm surprised that you're hurt at all— I mean, it usually takes a lot to get you this upset…"

Clearly, everything that Lovino was saying only made the situation much worse. Gilbert looked angrier than Lovino had seen him in months. But even more than that, the look in his eyes shown just how hurt he was inside. He figured there was no use hiding anything from this point onward.

"_What_? Why the fuck wouldn't I be hurt? Okay, I know that I'm awesome and all that but since when does that mean that I don't have feelings? Because I do, just like everyone else! You, of all people, should know that. And you know what? I'm starting to think that you're not even as sorry as you claim to be."

"No, that's not true! I really am sorry, and I'll say it as many goddamn times as you want me to. It's just… Some things just can't be. And so they shouldn't, no matter how badly you want them to."

Gilbert narrowed his eyes. Obviously Lovino was speaking in riddles again, and he wasn't buying any of it. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean? Or, let me guess, it's 'hard to explain'? As if I haven't heard that one before. You still haven't even told me why you suddenly said that we couldn't be friends anymore! You remember that, don't you? About six months ago, right around the time I broke up with Liz. If you think that you can just discontinue our friendship whenever you want to without a legit reason, and then act as if _nothing_ ever happened, then you're wrong."

Lovino was literally at a loss for words. He really wasn't used to having Gilbert get so upset at him like this, since usually it was the other way around. Gilbert would piss him off, sending him over the edge and into a raging fit. But, it seemed that Gilbert always knew how to get forgiveness and make him smile again. Now, however, Lovino felt helpless and didn't know how to deal with this at all. From the direction that this conversation was going in, he would most likely lose Gilbert for good. What would he do if that happened?

"Fuck— I… I really didn't know that the date meant this much to you. Honestly. I didn't know you'd be this upset," Lovino murmured, though mostly to himself.

"Idiot… That's not the main reason that I'm upset." A tad bit calmer now, Gilbert sighed and faced the other way again. Time looked as if it had stopped just for the two of them. From where they stood, the city below them hadn't changed since they first began this uncomfortable conversation. Yet the nostalgic breeze was nothing but melancholic now. It made the both of them shiver; though it was mainly the icy atmosphere between them.

It didn't feel right to yell at Lovino, but he was just so angry, confused and frustrated. Gilbert didn't know how else he could express his feelings like he had been wanting to. It would probably take a miracle for their relationship to be repaired, after all of this.

Sighing, Gilbert finally continued once his words were properly gathered. "I'm upset because… I feel as if I was led on. I mean, these past few months with you have just been so wonderful. You were there when I really needed you to be— so were Francis and Antonio, but you really helped me out, Lovino. Every moment with you was exciting, even when all we did was rant to each other or watch movies together. Before I knew it, you weren't just my best friend anymore. No, you became… someone very special to me."

Was this actually a confession? Whatever it was, it sure seemed like it. The beating of Lovino's heart made it almost difficult to hear Gilbert's words that came out in a hushed tone. The guilt in Lovino's throat swelled up even more, if that was possible. He wanted so badly to tell Gilbert everything, every single thing that he had been holding it. What would happen if he did? For once, Gilbert wasn't pretending that everything was fine. He wasn't smiling or laughing, nor was he making jokes about it and trying to change the subject. If he could muster up the strength to tell exactly how he felt, shouldn't Lovino be able to do it, as well?

Before Lovino could say anything, Gilbert snapped himself out of the depressing trance he had begun to sink into again and he simply shrugged. It looked to Lovino as if the albino had simply given up on everything. Even the façade that he had gotten rid of, was starting to appear again.

"Oh well," he started, and gave a lazy fake chuckle,"It was silly to think that I'd actually be capable of having an established relationship again. Not after the way I completely screwed up my last one— and you wanna know something? I knew it was going down the shithole, but I didn't even try to fix it. Whatever, though. I give up on that lame crap. It's completely un-awesome."

Give up? Give up on love? But, Gilbert never gave up on _anything_! Hearing him say that literally ripped Lovino's heart to shreds. Why is it that every time something wonderful is right in front of him, he ends up pushing it away? His mind wanted to explode, and it was as if he was having an internal fight with himself. One part of him wanted to claim Gilbert as his own so that they could finally be happy together. But, the other part of him knew the reason he couldn't do that. At least, he told himself that he couldn't.

"What the fuck do you mean you give up? But, you never give up anything! You're Gilbert, and you get through things as if they're nothing! S-so you can't give up, you just can't!"

"And why can't I? I had love, and I lost it. Big deal. I'm not wasting my time on that shit anymore. And even if I did, who would I get it from?" Gilbert looked at Lovino as if suggestion of not giving up was the most stupidest thing he'd ever heard. Perhaps it was a mistake to come there in the first place. After he found out that Lovino was fine, he should've just left. Now he felt even more horrible than the past fourteen days combined.

* * *

><p>Because he wasn't sure if he'd be able to hold the tears that were swelling up in his eyes and it definitely wasn't awesome to cry in front of others, Gilbert flashed the best smirk that he could muster up at the moment, and turned to walk away. Before he could take even two steps, though, he felt his left arm being tightly grasped as he was tugged from behind and forced to turn back around, facing Lovino again.<p>

"From me, you fucking pitiful bastard! From me!" Lovino yelled these words at the top of his lungs, not daring to loosen his grip. Even though it was dark, Gilbert could see just how red and furious the Italian's face was. But, was he really angry, or just upset? "Y-you'll get love from me, because I _love _you, goddammit!"

'Love'? Did he just say love? That forbidden word bounced against every corner of Gilbert's frozen mind. No matter how many times he repeated it to himself in his head, it was just too much to take in all at once. A moment ago, Lovino was rejecting him all over again, wasn't he? Then, where the hell did this come from? He wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth shut. His mouth wouldn't be able to form the words, anyway. Gilbert was completely dumbfounded.

"I love you, Gilbert," Lovino went on to repeat again. It was his turn to confess now. "I-I love you so fucking much that it hurts! I can't help it, even though I shouldn't be with you in that type of relationship… I don't deserve to be."

"I don't… understand?" Gilbert murmured when Lovino had gone silent again. He tried to read the guilty expression on Lovino's face but he just couldn't. Not this time.

After a short moment, Lovino sadly shook his head and looked down into the dirt that they were standing in. He suddenly felt weak in the knees, and looking Gilbert in those ruby eyes that he adored so much, wouldn't make it any better.

"I hated seeing the two of you together. I really hated it… Why couldn't I just be glad that my best friend, and my other friend, were happy together? I tried to be, but I just couldn't. Not after I realized just how much I liked you. That was well over a year ago, you know?"

Wait— Lovino was jealous of Liz and I? Again, all of this came to Gilbert as a complete shock. Why hadn't he noticed this before? He thought that he knew just about everything about Lovino. Yet, he couldn't see that his best friend had feelings for him until only a little bit over a month ago?

"I told myself that I wouldn't get between you two, no matter what. No matter what I was feeling, I wouldn't do anything about it. And yet, I went ahead and fucked you. Even though you were still together with Liz, I… Drunk or not, I helped _ruin _your relationship! Sure, the two of you would fight sometimes, but I'm part of the reason you went through all of that!" Lovino shuddered, thinking about just how much of a miserable sap Gilbert had been that entire month after the break-up. "Hell, I even remember wishing that each argument would be the last, and that I'd have a chance to be with you. What kind of horrible friend does that?"

"Lovino, I never knew…"

"That's exactly the reason why we can't be together… Why should I deserve to be happy with you, when I couldn't even be happy when you were with someone else? I couldn't tell you because you'd think I was pathetic. And well, you'd be right. That's also why I had broken off our friendship that time— I was so close to just taking you for myself, even though I had already helped you cheat on her once."

The way that Lovino's entire body was trembling now, told that he was crying as he confessed everything he'd kept to himself for so long. The tears trickling down his bright red cheeks shown in the moonlight, and Gilbert wanted nothing more than to wipe them away. He was still having a bit of trouble grasping all of this newfound information, as well. God, he felt like such an idiot! Lovino was pouring his heart out to him, and all he could do was stand there in shock with his mouth hanging open.

What should he say, though? 'It's okay' was obviously not the right term to use in this situation. Because, well, nothing was okay. He and Lovino claimed to know everything about each other, and people always said they were inseparable. Yet, neither of them could see just how much they loved each other. Either they were both good at hiding it, or that was a huge fail on their part. What would it be like if they were in a relationship, then? Gilbert didn't want to make the same mistakes he'd made with Liz, if he got together with Lovino. Losing her was difficult enough, he wouldn't bear it if he drove Lovino away, too.

It never hurt to try, though, right? And with their awesome individual skills, they could work together!

Gilbert cleared his throat, and hoped that his throbbing head wouldn't screw up what he had to say next. "Listen, Lovino. The truth is, I also—"

"I shouldn't even be telling you this shit, since you're so fed up with me. But, you wanted to know, right? Well, now you know," Lovino grumbled, and rose a hand to wipe both of his tearstained cheeks. He did a sloppy job, and Feliciano would no doubt ask him what happened when he returned home. He hated how his cheeks always told his feelings.

"Hey, wait. Let me talk first—"

"What the hell are we going to do now?" Lovino interrupted again. "We just confessed all of these fucked up things to each other, but I still feel like shit. I'm guessing you're not gonna want anything to do with me—"

"Just shut up for a second!" Gilbert shouted above Lovino's rambling, and cupped his hands on both of the Italian's cheeks. Before he could really figure out what was going on, Lovino was silenced by the pair of lips that he'd longed to feel again. Gilbert smashed their lips together with so much force, that the contact nearly hurt. However, neither of them really minded. They didn't mind at all, because they were too absorbed into the feeling of kissing each other to think about anything else.

"W-what the hell w-was that for?" Lovino sputtered out, furrowing his brows and sticking out his bottom lip just a bit. He always held this expression when Gilbert did something completely random that embarrassed him, even when he secretly enjoyed it.

"To shut you up, of course. Now listen to me, I feel the same way, you know? I mean, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself… It's only natural that you were jealous— ah, I don't mean that in an egotistical way, or anything. Though, it _is _true. Um… and like I've said before, don't blame yourself. What happened between Liz and I was our business, okay? So stop blaming yourself already!"

Gilbert playfully flicked Lovino on the forehead as if scolding him for being so irrational. But, he received no complaint from the silent man before him. Mainly since all of the emotions that both of them were feeling was far too overwhelming for him.

"So, yeah. Stop beating yourself up. I obviously would have been the same way if you were the one in a relationship, instead. And, about what happens after this, well… I also, uh, feel the way you do… about this whole thing. Which basically means…"

"You suck at this." Lovino scoffed, trying not to laugh at Gilbert's loss for words and obvious embarrassment. It was actually kind of cute.

"No, I don't!"

"Yeah, you do."

Gilbert puffed out his cheeks and groaned irritably before shouting out, "Stupid, I'm trying to say that I love you, too!"

Silence. This time, it was probably even longer than the other awkward moments of silence when neither of them knew what to say. Only, it wasn't awkward, Lovino was simply in awe to hear such words come out of the mouth of the one that he loved. The fact that he was loved back, was too unreal. For a moment, he could've sworn that this whole thing was just a dream that he'd wake up from and curse the world at how it couldn't have been reality.

That is, until Gilbert pecked his lips again.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Cut that out, dammit." He looked away from those smirking lips, trying to fight the smile that desperately wanted to spread across his lips.

"Why? You love my kisses. And you love me," Gilbert teased.

"You kiss like an old woman. You're like a grandmother giving sloppy wet kisses to her damn grandchildren."

"W-what? That's a lie! You're in denial, Lovi!"

Lovino chuckled mischievously and discreetly wrapped his arms around Gilbert's waist, trapping him into a hug. "Like hell I am. If you're going to be my lover, then you're going to need a lot of practicing, right?"

Lover, huh? Gilbert definitely liked the sound of that. He liked it even more when Lovino pulled him into another kiss, this time much more fiery and passionate than the previous ones. Having an Italian boyfriend with a spicy personality? Yeah, he could definitely get used to this. Letting his arms slither their way around his new lover's neck, Gilbert anticipated their colorful future together. For now, they would probably be on that cliff for a little while longer.

* * *

><p>"Looks like they've finally got their happy ending! It took awhile, but I'm so proud of them! And for two amateurs, I'm surprised that they didn't need us to trap them into a room together and force them to make up."<p>

Watching through a pair of binoculars from a bush many yards away, Francis couldn't help but squeal at the sight of Lovino and Gilbert snuggled together under the starry sky and bright moonlight. He'd definitely have to congratulate them the very next day and buy them gifts like condoms and lingerie to play in! That's what best friends are for, right? Of course!

"I'm happy for them, as well! I was worried that both of them were too stubborn to fix this on their own, but it's good to see that they have," Antonio replied, grinning from ear to ear despite warning Francis only a few minutes before that they shouldn't be spying again. The last time they'd done that, Gilbert was pissed.

"I agree. And, it's a good thing that Ludwig told us that Gil was coming here, or else we would've missed such a great scene! At least things will be back to the way that they should be. It's going to be incredibly fun to mess with our little love birds."

The two mischievous spying men laughed and sighed with relief afterwards. Looks like things were definitely working out in everyone's favor.

"So… blackmail?" Francis suggested, pulling out the camera from his pocket.

"You bet."

* * *

><p><strong>Edit—AN: **So there was a request for an epilogue— I was thinking about writing one already, I just don't know what it'll be about. I really want it to be domestic and natural, though. I'll update this when I've written it~ Again, thanks to everyone for reading this and/or reviewing!


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